Penguin
by PufferButtercup
Summary: Rin is an insecure and thoroughly depressed seventeen year old, recently abandoned by her father. When arrogant and flirtatious Len moves in next door, the two are instantly drawn to each other. Both are stubborn and afraid to love though, so the possibility of romance is out of the question... Right? (Len x Rin), mentions of suicide and self harm.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! This is my first real fanfic (the first two I had up where tests to see if people actually liked my stories), so huzzah! This story will have mentions of suicide and self harm, so if this is a sensitive subject for you, you should probably stop right here... **

**There will be no deaths, however! I can assure you that, so don't freak out. **

**Also, the usual friendships I see are Miku and Rin, or Luka and Miku. There's not that many Rin and Luka friendships out there, and I just think there should be more, because they are HILARIOUS and ADORABLE together.**

**Douche Len is in this, too! For those of you who read my other fanfics before I deleted them, you guys know how much I adore Douche Len... Seriously. He is so fun.**

**There will be a longer note at the end, so I'll just let you get to reading! **

**XOXOXO**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Vocaloid, obviously.**

**XOXOXO**

**"Love like this is all I want. Baby, we're fate. Love like this may come once. Baby, we're fate. Like a soul mate, you're my penguin. Baby we're fate, baby it's fate. Not luck."**

**-Christina Perri, Penguin**

**XOXOXO**

Rin sat on the porch, legs drawn up to her chest, sketch pad balanced on her knees. Her pencil was held loosely between her pointer finger and thumb, tapping lightly against the wood beneath her. She watched as the movers came in and out of the neighboring house. So far she had seen an older couple, but no kids. She didn't really know why she was hoping for kids. She wanted company, sure. But even if there were kids, she would avoid and ignore them.

All thanks to her father. Ever since he left, Rin refused to talk to people, to let them into her life. Because once they were in, they could hurt her like he did. It had only been a year since he'd left, but her grief made it feel longer. She hated how he abandoned her and her mother. She resented him for that fact, she hated, loathed, _despised_ him.

Although her mother put on a happy face and tried to stay strong, she knew how hard it was for her. She knew how she blamed herself everyday for their abandonment. They had done well by themselves so far, thank God. Luckily, her mother was at a good paying job at an art store. Their relatives would even send money sometimes, but her mother was embarrassed by this. She was grateful of course, but she hated having to rely on other people's money.

Rin wasn't doing as well as her mother. The first few months after he left had been the hardest. She had locked herself in her room for weeks before her mother forced her out. After that, she began to cut. It started out with small, shallow slits on her thighs and arms, but her grief only grew each day when she realized her father wasn't coming back. Then she had made the cuts deeper, longer. Her mother saw them one night and put her in therapy. She hated that. She hated needing to talk to a stranger every week about her feelings.

A few weeks after being signed up for therapy was when it happened. That was when she tried to commit suicide.

One night she came home from school, exhausted and more upset than usual. They had just had father-daughter pictures for the year book after school. When she saw her classmates with their fathers, Rin had left the school in tears. As soon as she got home, she told her mother she would take a bath and went upstairs.

Rin squeezed her eyes shut tightly, trying to get rid of the painful images in her mind. But she couldn't. It was so vivid, so clear, as if it had just happened yesterday. The tears. Hot water. A burning sensation on each wrist. Red smears on the walls. More tears. A bath full of blood. Rin gave up on fighting back the memories and let it play through her head, like it always did.

_"Rin? Welcome home, sweetie!" Her mother chirped, her smile tight and eyes blank. "How are you feeling?"_

_"Tired."_

_"Of?"_

_"I don't know. Everything?" She swiped at the trail of tears on her face. "I'm gonna take a bath." She heard her mother say something, but was already up the stairs and locking herself in the bathroom. _

_She peeled of her clothes and yanked on the hot water. Steam rose from the tub as it was filled. Slowly, she sunk her feet into it, sucking in a shaky breath as it burned her skin and turned it red. She closed her eyes and sat down in the water, crying out as she felt herself get burned. _

_Once her skin was numb from the heat, she reached out and grabbed the razor on the edge of the tub. It was familiar and cold in her hand. She pressed it to her skin, gently at first. Then she added more and more pressure to it, until she felt her skin split. Tears spilled over her cheeks as she dragged it along her wrist, watching in some sick fascination as the blood dripped into the tub, staining the water a dull red. She did the same the other wrists and leaned against the wall, crying. She slammed her hands into the wall angrily, smearing them with her blood. The scent of blood in the room was nauseating and made her light headed. Or was it the loss of blood? She didn't know, nor did she care. Her wrists began to ache more and more, until the pain was so intense she was screaming. _

_Screaming and crying and wishing she would die already._

_"Rin?" Her mother's voice came from the other end of the door, sounding panicked and terrified. _

_"Open up!" She demanded. She jammed her thumb into the key hole and twisted it around until it finally opened. She screamed and yanked out her phone, fumbling with it before dialing a number in. Rin couldn't see her through her tears, and continued crying. _

_"911?" Her mother breathed out. "Yes-yes, right now! My daughter is bleeding too much, please, we live-" Rin tried in vain to blink out the black spots from her vision and failed as darkness came over her, like a curtain signaling the end of a play._

She opened her eyes up and sucked in a deep breath shakily. She fought back the urge to cry as she let out the breath in a whoosh. That was the third time that month her memories had taken her.

When her mother had found her, she was taken into the hospital for a month before she was released. By the time she was released, the whole school was buzzing about her attempted suicide. She hated it, and so her mother decided it was time to leave. They moved far, far away. And once they were settled, Rin had decided to be homeschooled. It was better that way. Far away from her old home, away from the judgmental douches at school, away from her therapist, away from practically everything.

Except her fears.

Biting back a sob, she rested her head in her knees, just as she heard footsteps bounding towards her. She raised her head slowly, and blinked in surprise. In front of her was a girl, about her age, with long pink hair and sparkling blue eyes. She looked like a model, with her high cheekbones, full lips, flawless skin, and long, lean body.

"Hi, I'm your new neighbor, Luka!" She greeted boldly, a smile on her mouth. "I just moved in next to you, and as soon as I saw you, I knew we were destined to be friends!"

"Oh, uh, hi. Welcome to town." Rin managed awkwardly, grief clouding her voice as she stood up. Her sketch pad and pencil fell to get feet. "I'm Rin." This was weird. Very weird. She had no idea what to do, it had been years since she had talked to anyone, besides her mom. It was pathetic, she knew, but she was too scared to engage anyone else in a conversation.

"Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you, too." She mentally slapped herself for sounding so lame, and decided to go back inside, when she caught glimpse of the hopeful look on the girl's face.

_Fine. I'll try. _

Swallowing her fear, she asked, "So... where'd you move away from?" Rin asked, rubbing her palms nervously on her jeans.

Luka didn't seem to notice her nervousness. Her eyes brightened as she smiled, obviously happy to Rin's willingness to talk to her.

"I moved in from the city. This place is so much quieter and prettier, I love it. But, you know, it's not gonna stay quiet for long." She laughed and shook her head. "My brothers are totally loud and super annoying."

Rin laughed, and then regretted it. What happened to not letting people get close to her? She didn't want to have to deal with the hurt ever again.

But there was also that state of loneliness that followed her around. She needed someone to lean on, someone to talk to. She decided to give this Luka girl a chance.

"How many brothers do you have?" She asked, forcing a smile.

"Three. _Three_! It's insane. Why my parents couldn't get another girl is beyond me." Luka sighed dramatically, causing the blonde to giggle.

"Sorry. They can't be that bad..." She trailed off at the look of disgust on her face.

"Yes they are! Well, there's only actually one I hate, but, he was adopted. Well, we all were adopted-" When Rin laughed again, Luka said, "No, I'm serious! We all were adopted!"

"Really?" She asked skeptically.

"Really." Luka confirmed. "The oldest is Kiyoteru, he's off at a college right now, so he doesn't live with us anymore. Youngest is Oliver, he's eleven. Len's eighteen and a total douche. He's a pain in the ass and seems to enjoy every minute of my hatred towards him."

"Wow. That bad? Sorry."

She waved her hand, dismissing it. "You can make it up to me by helping me unpack."

Rin wrinkled her nose at how quick the girl recovered. "Fine." She agreed reluctantly, telling herself not to be scared of making a friend.

XOXOXO

It turned out that Luka's parents were nice and very friendly. They were kind and incredibly appreciative that Rin had come to help and that she was now friends with Luka.

Brushing off her hands onto her jeans, Rin turned to Luka. Since the movers had already moved everything in, they only had to unpack her things. But there remained a single box in the room.

"Where does this one go?"

"It belongs to..." Luka turned around and inspected the box at her feet. "one of my brother's. He can get it later."

"Are you sure, cause I can give it to him, if you'd like." She suggested. Rin found it slightly amusing how she was now willing to help this girl, though before she was terrified. It made her feel better. Hopeful, even. Like maybe one day she really could be a normal girl and get over her fear of others.

"Go ahead, if you insist. It goes to Len. His room is to the right of mine. Although, be warned," Luka whispered, leaning forward. "he's the ass I was talking about." With that, she turned back around to finish dusting her dresser.

Rin smiled, and picking up the box, she brought it into the boy's room. She carefully navigated around the boxes to get to the bed to set it down. Some boxes full, others half emptied in a lazy attempt to unpack. She didn't see any one, and let out the breath she was holding in relief. She had to admit; the idea of meeting a boy was still scary and strange.

"May I ask who you are and what you're doing in my room?"

Rin jumped and dropped the box in surprise. The books in the box spilled onto the floor. She squeaked out a quick apology, and forgetting his question, she knelt down to place the things back into the box.

The boy was suddenly next to her, placing his belongings carefully into the box. She raised her eyes to meet his, only to find his eyes already on hers. He looked at her with an amused sort of annoyance.

"I-uh-oh, God, I-I am s-so sor-sorry." She stuttered, hands shaking as she tossed the books back into the box.

His eyebrows pinched together. "Do you have some sort of speech impediment? Or does my mere presence render you incapable of fathoming your thoughts into proper sentences?" His blue eyes raked over her, glittering with amusement.

"No, y-you just surprised me. I'll be going, now." She stood up quickly and took a step, before her ankle got caught in a box and she found herself falling. His hands shot up to catch her, and she found herself in his arms.

"Can't walk _or_ speak? That's strange. A girl your age should be capable of both. I would see a doctor, if I were you." He suggested, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Rin pulled away from him, glaring daggers at him. _How rude! _She opened her mouth to retort, when Luka walked in.

"Rin!" She glanced between the two. Sensing the awkward tension between the two, she sighed. "I see you've met the ass I was telling you about. This is Len."

He moved his gaze onto Luka. "You were talking about my ass to a stranger?"

She frowned. "Why did Mom and Dad even adopt you? I asked for a puppy, and they brought home you. Although, I guess they were pretty close. You're both animals, you're both slobbery-"

"Hate to interrupt, but I'm kinda unpacking. Can you and your friend-"

"I have a name, you know." Rin crossed her arms over her chest defiantly.

He turned back to her and ran a hand through his already ruffled, blonde hair. "Rin, is it?" When she nodded, he went on, "Okay. Rin, can you leave? I have some unpacking to do, and as much as I appreciate girls ogling over me, I have something to do at the moment. You can come back tomorrow, if you like, and we can continue this." He winked teasingly at her.

"Shut up, Len. Come on, let's go." Luka humphed, pulling her out of the room.

Rin chanced a peek over her shoulder, and flushed deeper, finding his eyes still on hers. To her embarrassment, his cocky grin let her know her blush hadn't gone unnoticed.

XOXOXO

"Super sorry about Len. He's pretty insensitive." Luka sighed, tossing her hair over a shoulder as she sat on the porch next to Rin.

"It's okay. My dad is-" she cut herself off because of the painful throb in her chest. Taking a deep breath, she steadied her shaking hands. "was pretty sarcastic, too."

Luka seemed to pick up on the past tense. "Was? Oh my God, I'm so sorry-"

"It's fine." She interrupted. She didn't want Luka to give her that pity look like everyone else did at her old school. She was remembered as 'the girl who tried to kill herself', or 'the girl whose father left'. Not as 'Rin Amano- resident art geek and freak' anymore. She preferred being teased rather than being pitied.

"Oh. When did he die?" Luka asked quietly.

"He didn't. He... He hooked up with some girl from his work and left Mom and I one night. He left a note and his ring, but that was all. He took the car and the money." Rin traced her thumb along one of her many scars as she fought back tears. She refused to cry about him again. "That was last year." She said bitterly. She felt Luka's hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry. That really sucks." She looked sad, but there was no pity on her face.

"It's okay. I'm glad I told you. It bugs me when people pity me and look at me different because of that, so that's one of the reasons why I don't tell people. But I'm happy I can finally talk about it to someone besides my mom."

A pause. Then, "Is that why you always get that look?"

Rin glanced back at Luka. "What look?"

"You get this look sometimes where you're spacing out and you look really sad."

"Oh. You've noticed?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, we've only just met, but I've spent the day with you, so I'm starting to pick up on some things."

"Yeah." She fidgeted. "Sorry for telling you this, I didn't mean to throw it all in your face."

"No, don't apologize! I'm happy you told me. It means you somewhat trust me, and that's good. Well, since you've trusted me with your story, here's mine." She sighed and smiled wistfully. "At my old school, I was friends with these six girls. We were really mean and bullied others and made then feel like crap. I eventually realized how bitchy we were and told them we should stop. They didn't-" Luka swallowed. "They didn't like that I was standing up for the others, and wrote 'whore' on my locker the next day. I confronted them about it, and we ended up fighting. Like, full on fist fight. It was in the parking lot, and my older brothers saw me getting beaten up, so they fought the girls, too. In the end, the police came and had to pull us of of the girls, and they talked to our parents. The girls said I just randomly attacked them, and Kiyoteru and Len tried to-to do nasty things to them. So they believed the girls and notified the school district. Our parents found out what happened- what _really _happened, and they made us move here. Ta da." She stared at Rin expectantly, waiting for a response.

She didn't know what to say, though. Should she pity her? Should she freak out and run?

No, both of those choices were stupid. Luka wouldn't feel better if she pitied her, and she had no real reason to run away. It was only Luka, and she felt she could trust her. She could finally trust someone.

She decided to smile, and said, "Luka, you are way cool."

"Huh?" Luka wrinkled her nose and looked taken aback.

"You stood up for the people getting bullied. I think that that's really cool." She explained.

"You mean- you don't think less of me now? I did break some noses."

"Of course not!"

"So," She held out her hand, a grin on her face. "besties?"

And for once, Rin didn't have to second guess her choice. She knew that this would be a great friendship, and that this was her chance to put herself out there.

Clasping onto the girl's hand, she smiled in return. "Besties." She confirmed.

XOXOXO

**Whew! First chapter... How'd you like it? **

**Sorry that they're a little OOC... Hopefully, they'll grow on you! **

**In other fics like this, where a character is going through a hard time, a lot of them include self harm, depression, and suicidal thoughts that are all romanticized. I hate that. Self harm scars are not beautiful, depression is not a 'bitter sweet romance', and suicidal jokes are not okay. This fic will not have any of that crap, it will not be sugar coated in any way. It'll be about the struggle of getting through a hard time, and learning how to cope with bad stuff. **

**Now, the two fanfics I had up before this were very different from this one. They were more romantic, right off the bat, and more comedic. I decided to write this one to challenge myself, and so far, I'm proud of the result. This fanfic is really important to me, because a lot of Rin's feelings were mine, once upon a time. It's kinda like I'm telling the world what happened to me, but it's also for everyone out there who struggles with depression. This is for everyone who's suicidal, depressed, lonely, or just feels negative in general. Know that you are loved, and you are not alone. **

**This AN was long, but don't worry! It usually will be pretty short... Usually. ;) Teehee! Anywhoodledoodledoo, feedback is always appreciated!**

**-See you next time! Xoxoxo, PufferButtercup**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, I actually didn't expect that much feedback that quick... Like, I remember posting it and then five minutes later, BOOM! A bunch of followers! That's pretty great, guys! Thanks! C: So as your reward, you get another chapter so soon.**

**Don't expect me to update this quick all the time, though... Hahaha!**

**Anywhoodledoodledoo, my beta told me that Rin was too over the top with being depressed and stuff, so I'm gonna tone it down a bit... Sorry if you felt that way, too! Thank you so much for the feedback, guys! **

**XOXOXO**

**DISCLAIMER: Vocaloid is not mine! If it were, Douche Len would be canon... **

**XOXOXO**

**"Love like this is all I want. Baby, we're fate. Love like this may come once. Baby, we're fate. Like a soul mate, you're my penguin. Baby we're fate, baby it's fate. Not luck."**

**-Christina Perri, Penguin**

**XOXOXO**

"So, are we still on for tonight?"

"Definitely." Rin answered, twirling a stray piece of hair between her fingers. It had been two weeks since she had met Luka. A long enough time for the two to become comfortable around each other. They had only gone to the park and the library due to Rin's mom being overprotective, but now that she trusted Luka and her parents, they were allowed to go wherever they wanted.

As long as they were supervised.

"Great! I'll be at your house in ten?"

"Perfect." She hung up and pulled off her ratty (or as Luka liked to call it, 'ratchet') t-shirt, and pulled on a white, lacy undershirt and black sweater. She brushed out all the knots from her hair, grabbed her bag, and headed downstairs.

"Leaving already?" Her mother asked from the couch. Her long blonde hair was pulled up into a messy bun.

"Mmhmm. Luka's on on her way."

"That's nice. And who's keeping track of you?"

"You really don't beat around the bush, do you? I don't know. Probably one of her parents."

She opened up her mouth to say something back to Rin, but was interrupted by the knocking on the door.

Rin walked over and pulled it open. Luka grinned and popped her head in.

"Hey, Ms. Amano!" She called brightly.

"Hi, Luka. I told you before, you can just call me Lenka!" She laughed with a shake of her head.

"I know, I know." Luka shrugged. "It just sounds disrespectful, though. Anyways, what time do you want Rin back?"

Lenka pursed her lips and furrowed her eyebrows thoughtfully. "Whenever is fine, as long as you don't wake me up. I'm probably going to take a nap." She said finally with a smile. "And who's supervising you?"

"My older brother. He's waiting in the car. Anyways, I'll get her back to you mostly unscathed. Bye, and thanks for letting me borrow Rin!" She pulled the blonde out of the house.

"Bye, Mom!" Rin called out over her shoulder, closing the door. Once they were walking to the car, parked along the sidewalk, she turned to Luka. "Mostly unscathed?" She asked.

"Yes. Mostly. It's Len taking care of us, I wasn't about to lie to your mom and tell her you would be just fine." She explained.

"Wait, _Len_ is taking us?" She hissed.

"Yeah, I'm not too happy about it either." She sighed. "Oh well, we'll need it for where we're going tonight."

"What? I thought we were just going to-"

"I lied, I'm taking you to Crypton."

"The club?!"

"Yup. Why? You too chicken to go?" She teased.

"Well, yeah!"

"Are you really?" Luka leaned towards her and smirked. "Or are you just scared that we're going with Len?"

Rin groaned and pulled open the car door. "In my defense, he's pretty scary." She sat down in the back seat as Luka took shotgun.

Len, as if on cue, glanced back at her. He looked annoyingly perfect, even with his messy hair and wrinkled t-shirt. "Who's scary?" He asked.

"You." Luka answered automatically. "You're douche bag ways scare Rin."

He grinned.

"That is _not_ true!"

"Uh, yeah it is." Her supposed 'best friend' said.

"That's okay. I scare a lot of people, mostly because of my intimidating good looks." He started the car, and pulled out onto the street.

Rin humphed and leaned her head against the cold window. This was going to be a long drive.

XOXOXO

Once they had arrived, Len disappeared to go flirt with the brunette in the corner, and Luka had gone off to go to 'the little girl's room'.

Sighing, Rin sat down at the bar and ordered a Sprite. When her drink was handed back to her, she took a small sip from it, just as she felt someone sit next to her.

She expected it to be Luka or Len and turned to look at them, only to find it was a boy. He was handsome, in an off-kilter sort of way. His nose was a little too large, and he had black hair and matching dark eyes.

"Hey." He nodded his head at her, licking his lips.

"Hi." Rin acknowledged him briefly, before turning back to her Sprite.

"I'm Ryuya." He said, obviously not taking the hint that she wasn't interested.

"Okay."

There was silence, and she thought he had left, but she still felt him net to her. His hand creeped around her waist, which she promptly removed.

She looked at him in disgust. "I'm not interested. Go away." He didn't. Sighing, she smiled sweetly at him. "Go away, or I'll scream."

His smile faltered. "Like anyone would listen. If you haven't noticed, it's kind of really loud."

"You wanna bet?" She opened her mouth to scream, and he slid off the stool glaring at her, before moving to sit far away from her, but still within eye contact. At least he wasn't there anymore, though.

She pulled out her phone and texted Luka.

Where are you? -R

A minute after she sent out the message, she got a reply.

At Crypton. Duh. -L

I know that, butt head. Still in the bathroom? -R

Haven't even peed yet. The line is never ending. -L

Oh. Hurry up! -R

I'll try. Ttyl! -L

Rin shoved her phone back into her pocket, groaning at the music that had started blaring overhead.

"If I have to listen to much more of this, I'm going to cry."

Rin jumped just as she took another sip of her drink and the stinging liquid drew up into her nose. She coughed as her eyes filled with tears.

Fanning her hand in front of her face, she glanced to her side. Len leaned against the bar beside her, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"God, Len. I'm going to put a bell on you or something so you can't keep sneaking up on me like that."

"Where's the fun in that? Besides, I like taking you by surprise. You get this wide-eyed scared-little-kitten look. It's cute."

"Well, is it also cute when Sprite spews out of my nose? Because that's just about what happened."

"You can do that? Now that's something I just have to see." He leaned back on the bar and grabbed her glass, handing it to her. "Here, take another drink and I'll scare you again."

She couldn't help the small smile that spread across her lips. "Shut up! You're such an assclown."

"Assclown? Yet another one of your insults, right?" He smiled when she nodded. "These insults of yours are pretty great."

"Thank you. How'd it go with the brunette over there?"

"Pretty great. I managed to get her number. Not like I'd call her, though."

"You are a horrible person, Len."

"I know. But she was kinda scary, and I'm not into scary ladies."

"Mmhmm." She took another sip of her drink, her eyes wandering over to where Ryuya sat. His stare still held on hers. Len followed her gaze and frowned.

"Who's he?" He asked, sounding somewhat protective. Rin dismissed it, thinking nothing of it.

"Just a jerk who was hitting on me earlier."

His eyes widened, and she saw a spark of anger in them. "He's going to come over here again, you know."

"He is?" She asked, full of worry, and even a little fear.

"Because he thinks you're available." Len explained, his hand ghosting along down her arm to her wrist. She shivered lightly at his touch. "So, how about we make sure he knows you're not available?"

"But I am." She squeaked out.

He rolled his eyes, lips quirking up at her reaction. It was obvious she had never been hit on before. "But not for him." He pulled her gently from the stool and into the crowd of dancers. "You wanna dance?"

"But I don't-I mean, I- I've never-" She swallowed thickly. "I don't dance."

He took her hands gently and clasped them around his neck. Leaning down, he brushed his lips against her ear. "Now you do."

She raised her brows and tightened her grip around his neck as his hands cupped her hips, pulling her flush against him. An involuntary gasp escaped her throat.

"You all right?" he asked, his mouth still very close to her ear.

She nodded, unable to find her voice as he started moving, their bodies swaying together just like the other couples around them. Never before had a boy touched her like that. Her skin tingled at every point his body pressed into hers. It was a strange, though not unpleasant sensation.

Watching his movements closely, Rin tried her hardest to match him. He was good. Really good. She rolled her eyes at the thought of how many girls he'd had to dance with to get that way. "So, do you do this often?"

"What? Dance?"

"That and rescue girls from creepy flirts at the bar."

"No. Usually I'm the one flirting with all the girls at the bar." He smiled. "Though not nearly so desperately. In fact, I don't think I've ever had to ask more than once. Or even at all in some cases."

Rin scoffed. "You really are an ass, aren't you?"

"Never said I wasn't."

She shook her head and peered over his shoulder. Ryuya still glared at them from the bar, and a gaggle of girls stared, elbowing each other and pointing in their direction. Rin frowned, wondering what had them so interested. She watched as one of the girls made a lewd gesture and bit her lip, her eyes raking up and down.

Turning her attention away from them, she spotted another group of girls doing the same things. Suddenly, it dawned on her that they were checking out Len. Of course they were. He was new, he was cute- okay, he was more than cute, but he was just- Len. She was slightly disgusted at their lustful looks.

Without thinking about what she was doing, she tightened her grip around him, stretching one of her hands up and splaying her fingers across the back of his neck while pressing herself closer to him. She felt him stiffen slightly against her and then wrap his arms around her back, holding her tightly.

Her eyes fell to Ryuya just as he slammed his glass to the bar and stalked off toward the door. She smiled as he grabbed his jacket off a nearby chair and disappeared outside.

"I think it worked."

"What?" Len asked.

"Ryuya. He left. I think it worked."

"Oh." he pulled back and looked behind him. Turning back to Rin, his mouth lifted in a crooked smirk.

"Thanks." Rin said, meeting his eyes and realizing at that moment that she still had her arms wrapped around him. Stepping back awkwardly, she let her hands fall from his neck.

He looked as though he wanted to say something but then his gaze flickered to the space behind her.

"Luka's back. I'm gonna take that as my cue to leave."

"Oh. Why?"

"Because I don't want to spend any more time with her than necessary." He looked back at her with a small smile. "Later, Rin." He said, then disappeared into the crowd of gyrating bodies.

Luka stepped forward and poked Rin in the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" She winced, rubbing her arm.

"What happened when I was gone?" She demanded, eyes wide.

"Uh, I was hit on by a guy, and Len saved the day?"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah." She wasn't understanding why that was such a big deal.

"Was he nice to you?"

Rin thought back to the way his arms held her tightly and protectively, the way they had swayed together. Her face flushed, and she was glad it was so dark. "Yes."

"Jesus, I knew it!" She squealed.

"Knew _what_?"

"Ever since we moved here and we met you, he's been more civil. He eats dinner with the family now, and actually talks to me. Not just argues, but actually talks! It's amazing."

"And..?"

"And," Luka smiled, bouncing up and down giddily. "I think it's partially because of you."

Rin flushed deeper. "I don't think so, we've only interacted together, like-" She cut herself off. Okay, so maybe they had talked quite a lot. Shaking her head, she said, "I think it's also because he just moved here, and this is his chance to start over."

Luka grinned and shrugged. "Maybe. I dunno, but I'm kinda liking this new Len. If we weren't related, I would _so_-"

"Gross, Luka!" She exclaimed, swatting her shoulder.

"Just saying. He is pretty cute."

Rin laughed, ignoring the fluttery feeling in her stomach. "Whatever." She glanced over the crowd and spotted Len. He caught her gaze, and offered a smile in her direction, before turning back to the girl he was talking to.

A pang of jealousy shot through her, making her cheeks burn. And then anger and confusion for feeling that.

_What is wrong with me?_

XOXOXO

After about an hour and a half of dancing and giggling, Luka had decided they should head home.

"Hey," Luka turned over her shoulder as they drove along the road, "you want to stay over tonight? We could do stupid girly things like paint our nails and braid each other's hair."

That comment elicited a soft chuckle from Len.

Luka glared at him. "And no, you're not invited."

"I don't know. Let me text and ask her." Rin answered, pulling out her phone.

Can I sleep over at Luka's? -R

Her mother's reply came back almost immediately.

Yes. Have fun! :DDDDDDDDDDDDDD -Mama Bear

She giggled at her use of smileys, and put her phone back.

"I can sleep over." She announced, causing Luka to burst into whoops.

XOXOXO

Rin rolled onto her side to look at the clock on Luka's bed side table. It read 2 o' clock AM. They had just gone to sleep after hours of nail painting, braiding hair, and reading magazines. She moved her gaze over to Luka, where she lay sprawled out on the floor next to her, fast asleep.

Deciding she couldn't sleep, she kicked off her blankets and stood up, creeping quietly out of the room. She walked into the bathroom and splashed her face with water, gargled, then spat it out. She stepped out into the hallway and ran into someone. She jerked back and knocks her head into a wall. Wincing, she rubbed the spot gently.

"Jesus!" She hissed, trying to make out who she had bumped into.

Hands came up to steady her, cupping her elbows. "It's Len." He whispered, a smile in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm so getting you a bell."

He laughed softly, still holding her. "What're you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep. You?"

"Same. Actually, I was hungry, so I went downstairs and ate an apple."

"Oh. This late at night?"

"Well, I couldn't really sleep when my sister and her friend decide to stay up all night talking."

She flinched involuntarily at the tone of his voice. "My apologies." She murmured, pulling her arms away from him. He managed to catch her hand and pulled her back to him as she turned away.

"Hell. I'm sorry, Rin. I didn't mean to snap at you."

She raised her eyes to his. "Why're you apologizing to me?"

"Because I was rude."

"But I thought- I didn't think you liked me."

"What? Of course I like you!" He lowered his voice. "If I didn't like you, I wouldn't have saved you from the creepy bar flirt, or driven you to the bar, or even talked you this much. Rin, I-" he cut himself off by a sharp intake of breath and stepped away from her. His eyes had widened slightly, as if he had just woken up. "Never mind. Goodnight." He turned away briskly and walked into his room, closing his door.

She stared after him, a blush on her face and lips parted in a small 'o'. Was he going to say what she thought he was going to say? More importantly, _why did she care so much?_

Rin stepped back into Luka's room and lay down. She closed her eyes, and eventually fell asleep, dreaming of a certain blonde haired, blue eyed boy next door.

XOXOXO

**Bwahahaha! So, I actually like this chapter better than the first. What do you think?**

**Yeah, so, Rin was more toned down. Is that better? I hope so. Sorry if she was too dramatic last chapter, but you can't really blame her for all she's been through. And when you're depressed, you have random mood swings (I speak from experience), and everything seems like the end of the world. **

**She was more comfortable with Luka and Len this chapter, obviously, because she's known them longer, and she's beginning to trust them. By the end of this fanfic, she should be all better. :)**

**Feedback is always appreciated! In fact, it actually encourages me to work faster... Hint hint. Also! I want to get to know you guys, so next chapter I'll start having Question of the Day. You guys rock!**

**-See you next time! Xoxoxo, PufferButtercup**


	3. Chapter 3

**Third chapter, once again so soon. I'm so very proud of myself! Woot woot! Pop out the wine coolers! HOWEVER! It's spring break for me, though... I have a lot of free time to write. After this week, don't expect too many fast updates! xD  
**

**I wasn't really supposed to post this today, I was actually going to post it tomorrow night, but... Le sigh. This chapter is just so cute, and I had so much fun writing this one, that I had to! **

**So, one of the questions I received was asking about a lemon. I'm not sure if I can write one, I mean, I can certainly try! There will be heavy make out scenes in the future, but I'm not sure about a lemon. Possibly a lemonade, though? It's like a lemon, but very fluffy and more... Watered down. Haha! I dunno, but I'll try!**

**This chapter is shorter than the others, but I didn't feel like dragging it on... This one is very simple, and very sweet. Hope it's good enough for all you fluff lovers! Nuff said.**

XOXOXO

**DISCLAIMER: Vocaloid is not mine!**

XOXOXO

**WARNING: This chapter is so fluffy, you may vomit rainbows. ;)**

XOXOXO

**"Love like this is all I want. Baby, we're fate. Love like this may come once. Baby, we're fate. Like a soul mate, you're my penguin. Baby we're fate, baby it's fate. Not luck."**

**-Christina Perri, Penguin**

XOXOXO

The next morning, after making sure she wasn't a mess, Rin and Luka had gone downstairs to eat breakfast. Last night's events played through her mind over and over again, even though she had tried to stop it. Dancing with Len, his hands on hers, breath in her ear, and then the whole hallway thing. She supposed having that play over in her head was better than her attempted suicide, though.

It was very strange to Rin, why she wasn't obsessing over her depressing past as much anymore. How her fear of people seemed to disappear with each smile, each joke she shared with her neighbors. She was no longer shy or scared around these people. Luka's whole family had welcomed and accepted her, and she found herself looking forward to each new day, knowing that she would e able to share it with friends.

"Rin, have you even been listening to me for the past five minutes?" Luka inquired with a grin.

Smiling sheepishly, she shook her head. "Not really." She admitted.

"Okay, whatever. I was asking you what school you go to, spring break is almost over, and I don't want to go to a new school by myself." She frowned, before adding, "I'd have Len, but he doesn't count. He's a douche."

"Oh. I'm actually homeschooled." She answered. Luka's frown deepened.

"Say, Rin, if I were to be homeschooled... Would we be able to have a little school session together?" She asked, smiling slowly.

Laughing, she shrugged. "Probably."

Luka squealed and stood up abruptly, almost knocking over her chair. "I am /so/ going to ask my parents, then!"

Rin grinned. It was nice being able to talk to people. Being able to laugh and smile, again. "Okay, you do that. Are we doing anything today?"

"Hmm. I think I'm going to the airport to greet my parents and Ollie. They're coming back from wherever they were today."

"Oh." She said, trying to get over the feeling of disappointment.

"But, Len will be home." Luka winked suggestively, causing Rin to thwack her in the arm.

"For the last time, I am not interested in him!" _Liar, liar, liar! _

"Suuuure." She drawled out, before glancing at the clock above them. "Well, I've got an hour to kill before I should head out. What do you wanna do? Ooh! "I could give you a make over!"

Her eyes widened in fear as she backed away slowly. "Luka, I don't think-" But it was too late. She had grabbed the blonde who was screaming bloody murder, and was dragging her upstairs.

XOXOXO

After Luka had left, Rin had returned home and washed her face clean of makeup. She had talked briefly with her mother, before Lenka had to head out to go to the art store.

Rin sighed, and lay down on the couch. She reached for her phone from her back pocket, but it wasn't there. Standing up, she walked over to the house phone, dialed her number, and called it. She jogged around the house to see if she could hear the ringing, but it wasn't there. Eventually, a soft click came through the earpiece on the house phone.

Wrinkling her nose in confusion, she asked the first thing that came to mind, "Who is this and why do you have my phone?"

There was a soft chuckle from the other end, which she recognized as Len's. "It's me. You left your phone in Luka's room."

"Ah. Okay. Can I come over and pick it up?"

"Sure. But you didn't need this as an excuse to see me."

She was grateful he wasn't here to see her blush. "Asshat. It's not an excuse."

"Whatever."

Sighing, she said, "I'll be there in ten."

"I'll be waiting."

Another soft click to signal he hung up. Groaning she place the phone back on its holder, wondering why on earth she felt excited and anxious.

_Oh hell._

Did she..?

No!

But...

_No_.

She sucked in a deep breath as she desperately denied the feelings blooming in her chest.

XOXOXO

"Here already?" He quirked an eyebrow at her. His hair was, as always, messy and ruffled, and he still wore his pajamas. A loose t-shirt and faded, blue, cotton pants. Her heart swelled immediately, and she felt her cheeks flare at the memory of what had happened last night. But by the way he was looking at her, the same way he always did, it was as if it had never happened.

_Maybe it's better this way._

"Obviously. Can I have my phone back?" She asked impatiently. Rin wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. She didn't like the unusual feeling she got when she looked at him.

"Sure." He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to her. He bit his lip, and she thought for a second, she saw a flash of nervousness. All that was gone the next moment, however, he looked just as he always was. "You wanna come inside?"

"Why, Len, are you being gentlemanly?"

He grinned. "Maybe. So, do you?"

She nodded, and he moved aside to let her in. He closed the door quietly before turning back to her.

He cleared his throat and averted his gaze. "About last night..." He looked so uncomfortable and shy, it was cute, honestly. Cute, and even endearing.

"We don't have to talk about it, if you don't want to." She said quietly.

He looked relieved. _Of course he is. He doesn't like you; not like that._

"Okay." He said. She felt a strange sense of sadness. She secretly wished they could talk about it, that maybe he would confess his love for her. But that was ridiculous. He was a-a prince. And she was a toad.

Clearing her throat like he had just done, she said, "So, Len, it's come to my attention, I don't know very much about you." She forced a small smile onto her face, willing herself to forget the weird feelings in her chest and the butterflies in her stomach.

His mouth quirked up, almost imperceptibly. "What do you want to know?"

"Well." She decided to bring up the question she had always had for him. "Why do you push people away?" When he looked as if he was going to deny it, she said, "And don't you dare say you don't, because I've noticed. I just don't understand."

He closed his eyes briefly, before looking back at her. "As Luka probably already told you, I'm adopted." She nodded, and he went on. "Well, obviously there's that. My parents left me at an orphanage. But if they were dead- maybe it'd be better? Easier? They- they abandoned me, and they're still out there. If they were dead, that'd be different. But they had a choice." His blue eyes had darkened, and there was a gleam of hurt locked in his eyes. She recognized that look. It was the same look she saw the first months after her father had left; it was the look she had seen every time she had looked into a mirror. "They could've kept me. They left me, they-"

She placed a hand onto his cheek, causing him to break off and blink in surprise. His cheeks colored a light shade of pink slightly, and she was surprised. _She had made him blush! _"That's enough for today. You don't have to talk about it anymore." She murmured gently.

He looked at her. _Really_ looked at her. Like how he had looked at her in the hall last night. It was too dark to see exactly what it was last time, but she recognized it this time.

He was looking at her with affection.

He licked his lips and lifted his hand up to cover hers, where it still lay on his cheek. He looked so vulnerable, so weak, so _fragile. _Closing his eyes, he breathed out softly, "Thank you."

She smiled at him in return. "You're welcome. I-I know a thing or two about abandonment." He opened his eyes, and she was surprised to find there was still affection there. He hadn't bothered hiding it like last time. And he knew she saw it by the way he smiled sincerely. She continued, "Luka probably already told you, but my father left me last year. He abandoned Mom and I for another woman. He took _everything_. I only told Luka that. What I didn't tell her, is that..." She took a deep breath. "I tried to abandon Mom, too. I tried to kill myself. God, it- I felt horrible. My mom, luckily, was really accepting of my depression. I'm fine for the most part now, but it was really scary." He just smiled sadly, before wrapping his arms around her. He rested his chin atop her head, while her face was pressed into his chest.

"We'll be okay." She heard him murmur, brushing his lips against the top of her head. It wasn't just the kiss that surprised her- it was his choice of words.

_We_. Plural. As in him _and_ her. He was saying that she was no longer alone, that they would be okay and get over it together.

Together.

She had always dreamed about a boy to be like this with her. But she had never thought it would actually happen. Much less with a boy who was this attractive.

She tightened her arms around his waist as he clutched her to him tighter. She felt his warmth against her. God, he was so warm. She would've though this much heat would be uncomfortable, but it wasn't. It seemed to seep into her bones and comfort her body. It was an usual, yet nice feeling.

Eventually, they pulled away from each other. There was a long pause, before she spoke up.

"I should go." Rin said finally.

"Okay." He agreed, looking dazed, albeit pleased.

He walked her back over to her house, silent the whole time. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, though. It was the kind you had with a close friend, where just their presence was enough.

After saying their goodbyes, she stepped into her house, leaned against the door as it closed, and sank to the floor. She couldn't deny the feeling in her chest any longer, and she knew what it was.

The sarcastic boy next door had effectively weaseled his way into her heart and was slowly but surely chipping away at it, stealing pieces and stowing them away in a place she couldn't penetrate no matter how hard she tried. With each smile, each soft touch and reassuring word, she became more and more lost to her sensibility. He wasn't just an attractive boy to her. He was so much more. A kindred spirit in pain and heartache. He was- a penguin. _Her_ penguin. That's what she had learned in school, wasn't it? Penguins mate for life- they're soul mates.

He was her penguin.

Her soulmate.

XOXOXO

.**.. 3 There. I felt so bad about all that Rin had gone through last chapters: loss, hurt, anger, fear, sadness, grief- she deserved to feel loved this chapter. And you guys should feel loved, too! Originally, I had this planned for a future chapter, but... Heehee. **

**Question of the Day/Chapter: What's your favorite Douche Len quote? Mine is:**

** "Asshat. That's a good one. Can't say I've had the privilege of being called that before. Asstard, assclown, and various other combinations including the word ass, but never asshat. Luka's favorite is just plain ass. She says she's into simplicity. Frankly, I see it as a lack of imagination on her part. If she just put a little effort into it she could come up with something more original." **

**Or:**

**"Do you have some sort of speech impediment? Or does my mere presence render you incapable of fathoming your thoughts into proper sentences?" **

**Oh, Len... How you amuse me so.**

**Feedback is always appreciated!**

**-See you next time! Xoxoxo, PufferButtercup**


	4. Chapter 4

**I've got good news and bad news... Good news is: new chapter! Yahoo! Bad news is: I'm starting to second guess this fanfic... :'D I feel like it's just really poorly written, so depending on how things continue, it may be discontinued... Sorry! If you like, please tell me your honest opinion, whether or not it's kind. I really would love to know how to improve!  
**

**So, apparently you guys really want a lemon... Uuaaaeeaargh... Maybe, I don't know... I'll give you a for sure answer next chapter? Kay? Okay!**

XOXOXO

**DISCLAIMER: Vocaloid is not mine! But when I rule the world, it'll be one of the things on my 'To Rule' list.**

XOXOXO

**"Love like this is all I want. Baby, we're fate. Love like this may come once. Baby, we're fate. Like a soul mate, you're my penguin. Baby we're fate, baby it's fate. Not luck."**

**-Christina Perri, Penguin**

XOXOXO

"Rin, can you come here for a second?" Lenka called from the dining room.

She bounded down the stairs, and skidded to a halt. "Yeah?"

"Yesterday at the shop, I saw one of your old friends," She began, smiling nervously. "and he said he had just moved in. Well, there's a community dance for the teenagers down at the Parks and Rec Center in a few days, and-"

"Mom, are you _pimping me out_?" She interrupted.

Lenka shook her head, eyes widening guiltily. "I just think you need to get out more."

"I am!" Rin protested. "Luka and I have been hanging out, like, every day since she moved in."

"Yes, I know, but... Maybe you need more friends." She suggested with a shrug.

"I have friends! Luka, and Len, and..." She trailed off, searching for the name of another friend.

She had none.

Groaning, she leaned her head against the wall. "Fine. Are you going to tell me who my 'old friend' was?"

Her mother's smile widened. "Gakupo."

Gakupo. _Gakupo_. As in her elementary school best friend, Gakupo? The boy who was obsessed with eggplants? The boy she'd had a crush on since kindergarten and until eighth grade? The boy who had stayed her best friend, even when she told him she liked him, and he didn't return her feelings? The boy who had carried her home when she had sprained her ankle? The boy who had kissed her every scrape and bruise? The boy who had flirted with all the girls except for her because he actually liked and respected her? He was back?

"Gakupo as in the eggplant lover, right?" She asked skeptically.

"Mmhmm. He gave me his address and number for you. He only lives a few minutes away! Down on Cicero Avenue. How about you invite him to the dance?"

"I will, only if Luka and Len can come with." She crossed her arms stubbornly, causing her mother to frown. She was honestly a little scared to see him again. She didn't want to catch up with him and then realize he had turned into an ass hole and was no longer a gentleman. She didn't want the image of her best friend to be tainted.

They stared at each other in silence, until Lenka finally relented. "Deal."

XOXOXO

Shortly after the conversation with her mother and texting Gakupo about the dance (he replied soon after with a: 'Hell yes! Can't wait to see you there.), she walked over to the house next door, and knocked on it lightly. Luka threw it open. As soon as she saw her, her face lit up and she grinned.

"_Rin I missed you!"_ She squealed, throwing her arms around her in a bear hug.

Rin laughed and hugged her back. "It's only been a day, geez."

Luka pulled away, eyes wide. "Only a day? Rin, a day without you is like a month without toilet paper!"

"Eww, gross, Luka!" She flicked her forehead, and together, they walked inside.

Closing the door behind her, Luka said, "So, what's up?"

"Well, my friend from way back moved here. He came into my mom's art shop, and long story short, my mom wants me to invite him to the dance."

Luka held up her hand. "Wait, there's a dance?"

Of course that's what would catch her attention. Nodding, she replied, "Yes, every spring break the Parks and Recreation have a dance for the teenagers. Anyways, can you come with me to the dance? I don't wanna be alone with him. It'd be weird."

"Of course! When is it?"

"On Saturday."

"That's in three days, right?"

"Yeah."

She squealed once again, before clapping her hands together. "Is he cute?" She demanded.

_Cute? He was a total babe!_ "Yup."

"No cuter than me though, right?" Len asked, coming up behind her.

Willing herself not to throw herself into his arms, and managing not to blush, she answered sarcastically, "Of course not, Len. No one is as charming as you."

He grinned. "I know. I just like hearing it from pretty girls." This time Rin couldn't stop her face from reddening.

"Anyways, is he just supposed to meet us there? No, wait, you're inviting him." Luka went on, ignoring Len. "Do you have his number?"

"I already invited him, don't worry about it."

"Invited who?" Len asked with a frown.

She turned around to face him. "An old friend." When he frowned, she laughed. "Don't worry, you're invited to the dance, too. It's in a few days."

This made the frown slip away, replaced by a grin. "Inviting me to a dance, are you, Rin?" Despite the smugness in his voice, the happy glint in his eyes told her how pleased he was.

"Okay, is there something I'm missing?" Luka interrupted. She glanced between the two. "Are you two at it behind my back?"

At this, Rin whirled around, face flushed, and yelled, "No!" Just as Len replied, "Definitely."

Luka stared at them both, before she announced, "I'm going to help Mom, Dad, and Ollie unpack." _So that's why they weren't downstairs_. She winked at Rin before disappearing up the stairs.

As soon as she was gone, the two blondes turned to face each other. Although it had seemed he truly did like her yesterday, she wasn't sure with Len. She prepared herself for the worst, but when she met his eyes, the fear slipped away.

"I want to talk about yesterday." Len said, his hand reaching out slowly to hold hers. As soon as their hands brushed against each other, then clasped, Rin felt the familiar spark she always did whenever they touched. The small spark, and then the heat, as if his touch had awakened her body.

"Go ahead." She said, her eyes fixed on his.

"Rin..." He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them back up. His gaze bore into hers. "I like you, way more than I should." He said slowly, enunciating each word clearly. It was as if he had practiced saying it. Then, he cleared his throat. "If you hadn't already figured it out." He muttered, looking away."

She breathed a sigh in relief. She honestly was scared he would push her away and admit he was just toying with her. But one look at his face and she knew it was true. She knew he wasn't lying, as he really did like her.

"I like you too, Len." She said quietly. At this, his gaze jerked back to hers.

"It's funny. I should want to protect you from the guys who would want to do exactly what I want to do to you." He smirked, shaking his head.

From anyone else, it would've sounded stupid and cheesy and awkward. But from Len, it was so cute, so _naughty_.

"It's okay. I don't actually think I'd mind." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

He laughed. "I'm starting to think I'm a bad influence on you. It's pretty hot, actually."

"Thank you." She said with a smile. "You know, my mother warned me about you. She says she talked to your mom and that your mom told her that you get around. Mom said not to trust you. But for some reason, I get the feeling she's actually relieved to know I made friends." At this, he chuckled.

"But your mother's right. All boys are from the devil and none of us can be trusted." He flashed her a crooked grin.

She frowned. "Even you?"

He nodded. "Especially me."

"I don't believe you."

"Good. At least you're taking a little of your mother's advice."

Rin sighed. "I think you're a good guy, Len."

"That's just because you don't know me very well."

"I intend to change that." She said, stepping forward to close the space between them. "I plan to get to know you very well."

His grin widened. He breathed out, "I'm counting on it." Before reaching out to cup her face gently. He slowly lowered his mouth to hers, and she felt his hot breath against her face. He was only half a centimeter away from her lips; she could close the distance and kiss him, if she wanted to. But she couldn't. She was frozen on the spot, waiting desperately for him to kiss her.

His lips parted slightly, and after what seemed like an eternity, his lips found hers. At first, it was just a slight brush, but then she had twined her arms around his neck, pulling him more fully against her. She felt him smile against her mouth before tilting his head to deepen the kiss. It was everything she had hoped her first kiss would be. Hot, wet, delicious, and with a drop dead gorgeous boy she could call her own. His tongue slid against her lower lip, asking for entrance. And who was she not to give it to him? She opened her mouth to let him in, and let herself taste him. He tasted like spice and citrus and sweet and- just Len. He was still gently with her, his lips soft and plush against hers. His tongue slid around her mouth with perfected experience, exploring and tasting everything. She was more than willing to let him, and wound her fingers through his hair, tugging lightly. He groaned softy against her mouth, and the noise was so erotic, she wanted to make him to it again. She didn't however, because he effectively scattered her thoughts as his hands found her waist. His thumbs traced small patterns along her hip bones, causing her to shiver.

Eventually, he had slowed the kiss down by placing brief, open-mouthed ones against her lips and cheeks before pulling away.

His lips were still parted, although he grinned, and he panted slightly, as did she. Both their faces were flushed, and she realized they were still entwined. He didn't seem to care, though. And honestly- neither did she.

"How was that for a kiss?" He asked breathlessly.

"Good." Rin mumbled, incapable of saying anything else. He laughed and pulled away from her.

"God, I'm going to be killed." He said, causing her to giggle. "No, I'm serious. Luka will find out about us and kill me, and then my parents, and then your parents."

"They'd be mad at me as well."

He shook his head. "No, because you're an angel. I've completely corrupted your innocence." He sounded somewhat proud of himself. "You know, I always thought that I would die because of the aftermath of something stupid I did. But as I got to know you, I realized if I didn't get to have you, I'd die. So when I learned you liked me, I thought that I wouldn't care about you anymore, because it's always been like that. I want what I can't have. The feeling for you only got stronger, though." He smiled nervously at her. "I really do like you, you know. Do you believe me?"

"After you just told me that you couldn't be trusted?" She teased weakly, still trying to form sentences an father her thoughts.

"Well-"

"_Yes_." She confirmed, brushing her lips against his cheek.

"Rin?"

"Hmm?"

"I want to do this the proper way." He said quietly. When she nodded for him to continue, he took a deep breath then asked, "Rin Amano, will you go out with me?"

She smiled at how nervous he looked. As if she could actually say no to him! "Of course."

XOXOXO

"Rin-for God's sakes, _stop fidgeting or I'll burn you!_" Luka demanded.

It was the night of the dance, meaning it had been three days since Rin and Len had decided to go out. They had told only Luka, but decided to keep it a secret from everyone else.

Tonight, Rin would see Gakupo again, catch up with him, and hopefully still be friends with him. She had shown Luka a picture of them from sixth grade and Luka had called dibs on him, deeming him 'totally lickable'.

"Hurry up, I didn't ask to be your Barbie doll!" Rin sighed. Luka rolled her eyes and continued wrapping pieces of her blonde hair around the curling iron to make them into ringlets.

Finally, she announced she was done, and Rin stood up from the chair and looked into the mirror.

"Wow." She murmured. "I actually look nice." Her hair brushed her shoulders in loose curls, her eyes done up with mascara and smokey eye shadow, her lips glossed over with red lip stain. She looked more than nice.

She looked beautiful.

"Of course you look nice." Luka scoffed. "I am pretty great. Besides, it was easy. You're naturally pretty, all I had to do was accent what was already there!" Rin smiled, then pulled her in for a hug.

"Thank you!"

"Uh huh. Now get off me so we can get you dressed!"

Luka was already made up, her long, pink hair pulled back into a ponytail with bejeweled clips. Her eyes, like Rin's, were accented with mascara and eye shadow, her lips were darker red, and she wore a floor length, hot pink gown. It was a mermaid cut, strapless, and made Luka look older and even more glamorous than she already was.

Rin took off her ratty shirt and shorts and pulled on her dress. It had a small straps, was thigh length, and shimmered gold. It flared out at the waist, making it poofy and childish, yet still cute and sophisticated. Around her waist was a shiny, black belt she had borrowed from her mom.

Luka whistled lowly. "You look hot."

She laughed. "Thanks. I had the best fashionista make me look like this." Luka giggled and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Let's get going then!" She announced. They made their way downstairs, where Rinto and Neru stood with Len. Her eyes immediately went to him. He wore a white button up with a loose black tie, an black slacks that were cut like skinny jeans. As soon as he saw her, his face lit up, and his eyes traveled up and down her body, very slowly. When his eyes reached hers again, he grinned at her.

XOXOXO

Once Rinto and Neru were done taking pictures like the sentimental parents they are, they had driven to the dance, Luka dominating all the conversations. Len and Rin had exchanged a few smiles on their way, but she was too nervous about seeing Gakupo, she couldn't really speak.

When they arrived, she texted Gakupo, who said he was on his way. The three of them stood just outside the door, waiting and looking for him.

"There he is!" Luka alerted them. She and Rin smiled and waved at the approaching figure. He had a confident sway in his walk, and Rin squinted to see his face. It was indeed Gakupo. She swallowed nervously and breathed in and out deeply. Len seemed to notice this, and gave her a reassuring smile, squeezing her hand.

The figure eventually stopped in front of them. He was an inch or so taller than Len, so he was probably 5'9, and he had long purple hair tied back into a ponytail. His eyes were light blue and glittering with excitement.

He looked almost exactly as he always did. Just older now.

"Hey," He greeted with a wave. Rin flinched away from him.

Len squeezed her hand once again, his thumb drawing circles on her skin in an attempt to soothe her. Gakupo grinned at her, and she instantly felt relieved, much to her surprise. It was the same grin he always used to give her. His gaze went onto Luka then, who was staring at him longingly. He winked at her, and she remembered all the times he had flirted with girls and then cried to Rin about it if they rejected him. Good. He hadn't changed into some weird douche bag. She recognized the look in his eyes and felt happy for Luka. He liked her, and she liked him.

"Well, I'm Gakupo." He said.

"Of course you know Rin, but I'm Luka, and this is Len."

He nodded. "Nice to meet you, and nice to see you again, Rin." He winked over exaggeratedly, causing her to laugh.

"You're still a dweeb, I see." She commented.

"And you're still sassy. Did you guys know Rin _dominated _the school yard? All the guys liked her, and all the girls wanted to be her." He said.

"Shut up, Gakupo." She wrinkled her nose at him, smiling nonetheless before turning to the other two. "Let's go inside, then?" And the four disappeared into the crowd of rowdy teenagers.

XOXOXO

**How was it? Was their kiss as steamy and cute as you wanted? I hope it was! **

**So, next chapter will probably be just as long as this, maybe longer? There will be Gakupo x Luka, friendship between Gakupo and Rin, and Jealous Len! Oh, and of course more Len x Rin. That's a given! **

**Question of the Day/Chapter: Do you think there should be a lemon?**

**-See you next time! Xoxoxo, PufferButtercup**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, I know I told you guys that in this chapter I would for sure tell you whether or not there will be a lemon, but, I CAN'T DECIDE! Do you guys really want one that bad? You little perverts, you. ;)**

**Sorry that last chapter's ending was kinda lame and rushed. I kinda just wanted to get on with it! **

**The first scene in this chapter is from Len's POV, just to see how you guys react. Did you like it, or do you like Rin POV better?**

**ALSO! I'm going to try to stick with this fanfic, but I am feeling pretty down about it. I just don't think it's very good...**

**Anywho. I'll let you get to reading, then! See you at the bottom!**

**XOXOXO**

**DISCLAIMER... YODA STYLE!: Not mine, Vocaloid is. **

**XOXOXO**

**"Love like this is all I want. Baby, we're fate. Love like this may come once. Baby, we're fate. Like a soul mate, you're my penguin. Baby we're fate, baby it's fate. Not luck."**

**-Christina Perri, Penguin**

**XOXOXO**

"So, everything's been fine for you, huh?" Rin asked for what seemed like the billionth time.

And once again, Gakupo nodded with a smile. "Yup. Although, I'm sorry to hear that it hasn't been as good for you."

Len thought he saw a flash of sadness across her face, but it was so quick he assumed he imagined it. She smiled at him in return, shaking her head and causing her curls to bounce around. "It's okay. Len and Luka have been helping me get over it."

"It also helps now that Rin is letting us help her." Luka added.

"That's good! I wouldn't want my Rinny to be sad." He smiled, slinging an arm around her which she promptly shrugged off with a giggle. He felt a wave of jealousy and anger burn through him. He didn't like Gakupo saying "his Rinny". The nickname 'Rinny' was stupid, first of all. Second, /his/? Wrong! Rin was Len's, obviously. And finally, just Gakupo in general was annoying and stupid.

"Don't call me Rinny!" His girl demanded, whacking him good-naturedly on the arm.

"Okay, whatever you say, Rinny."

_Jesus, he is just sickening. He better stop before I vomit._

Gakupo grinned at Rin, and Len never wanted to punch anyone in the face as much as he wanted to punch him in that moment. He stopped himself from doing so, however; Rin looked happy with him. And she deserved to be happy, even if her friend was an idiot.

Gakupo, Rin, and Luka continued talking and laughing, seeming to have forgotten about him until Rin spoke up.

"Len, you've been surprisingly quiet." She said with a frown.

He forced a grin onto his face. He didn't want to worry her, not when she seemed so happy. "Why is it surprising for me to be quiet?"

She shrugged with a smile and turned back to Luka and Gakupo, continuing to chatter with them. His sister glanced up and met his gaze. She eyed him for a moment, then squealed loudly, interrupting Rin mid-sentence.

"This is one of my favorite songs!" She grabbed Gakupo's hand. "Do you wanna dance with me?"

"Wh-Uh, yeah! Sure." He glanced at Rin briefly, who gave him a nod of encouragement, then walked off with Luka. The pink haired girl mouthed 'you're welcome' to him discreetly, before turning back around to continue walking.

Rin turned to Len, face lit up, and he felt his heart speed up. Never before had a girl looked at him like that. Others had just thought of him as a hot body to get with, or just wanted bragging rights. But Rin looked at him like he was special- perfect, even. She didn't just like the surface of him. He knew she genuinely enjoyed _him_. She made him feel important and loved.

"Is it bad I was kinda wishing they'd leave?" Rin asked guiltily. He chuckled. Honestly, she was so cute.

"Just a bit." He answered with a grin. "Although, I have to agree with you, there. I wanted some alone time with you." He decided to leave out the part that she was also showing so much skin he almost lost his shit.

"Well, we're alone now. Now what?"

His grin widened. He stepped forward and placed a hand on her hip while the other held out her hand by his shoulder.

She giggled. "A waltzing position? Really, Len?"

He nodded, mock serious. "Of course, m'lady. For I am but your humble servant."

"I feel like if you were my servant, I'd somehow get you killed."

"Nah, I'd be fine." He said, all seriousness gone, moving them in time to the music. They danced in their little corner, slightly away from the crowd in the middle, isolating them. He was wondering if they should move to everyone else, but the happy look on Rin's face told him they were fine where they were. He twirled her, and she managed to get him to twirl, and they glided along gracefully. Her body was pressed almost indecently against his, and he prayed that he wouldn't do anything naughty to her- not this soon in their relationship.

As the song ended, they came to a halt. Rin smiled up at him. "Thank you." She said, sounding a little breathless.

He furrowed his eyebrows, trying to gather his thoughts. It was hard, though, with a pretty girl attached to his body. "For what?" He managed to get out.

She stood up on her tips toes and brushed her lips against his cheek. He felt his whole body heat up from just her small kiss. It was an unusual feeling that he could only get from Rin- and it was a very nice feeling, at that.

"For making me smile." She answered softly. She was blushing, and the small, shy smile on her mouth sent heat coursing through him, especially... down _there_. He really hoped it went unnoticed. God, did she not _realize_ how hot she was? She had to be careful around him- he was a hormonal teenage boy, after all.

He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss against her mouth, before pulling away. It was quick and very innocent, due to his fear that he would lose control if they kissed any longer than a second.

She blinked in surprise, obviously caught off guard by the kiss. Slowly, a smile spread across her lips. "I like you, Len." She said, so sweetly it was borderline angelic. This caused him to laugh. It would've sounded stupid, had it come from anyone else. But from Rin, it was sweet and adorable.

"I like you, too."

XOXOXO

Once the dance had ended and Gakupo had left, they drove back home. Luka was once again dominating the conversations, always changing the subject to be about her and Gakupo.

"...and then he told me he thought I was cute, and then I kissed him on the cheek, and then he twirled me, and-" Luka sighed happily, "God, he's just perfect."

By this point, the two blondes had given up on trying to have normal conversations. They just nodded and pretended to listen to everything Luka said.

Rin currently stared out the foggy window, thinking about the night's events. After countless dances (and brief kisses, much to her liking) with Len, they had eventually made their way back to the group. Gakupo and Luka had revealed to them that they were now going out, to which Len had responded 'that was fast', and earned a slap from his he had been forced to admit to them that he was jealous of Gakupo, causing Rin to blush and apologize profusely. Even though she was secretly pleased with herself. Following that, they split back into their little couples, and while Luka and Gakupo made out, Len and Rin had gone back into their corner to continue dancing.

Needless to say, she had enjoyed herself.

"I think we're going to get married." Luka blurted out, causing Rin to snap out of her thoughts.

"Ew, to Gakupo? He's so immature, though!" She protested.

"So is everyone in this car." She shot back, turning over her shoulder back to Rin to stick her tongue out. "We are _perfect _together_._ She said, climbing out of the car once they reached the house.

"Whatever." She decided to change the subject. "Mom says I can sleep over again tonight is that okay?" Rin asked.

Luka nodded. "Of course!"

The three entered the house, and after washing up and getting into pajamas, Rin entered Len's room.

She closed the door quietly behind her and allowed herself to look at him. He stood with his back partially to her, staring out the window. His hair was wet and dripping little droplets of water onto his bare chest. He wore his usual loose, faded pajama bottoms that were so low hanging, she could see the V of his hip bones and the light, golden hair leading from his belly button downwards. Her cheeks flared at the sight. She couldn't deny that this visual would be burned into her mind.

She cleared her throat once she thought her blush was under control, alerting him of her presence. He turned around in surprise, smiling when he noticed who it was.

"Isn't Luka going to be mad you left her?" He questioned, his eyes glittering with amusement.

"No. She said I could see you if I wanted to, and besides, I think she fell asleep."

He nodded with a small smile. He moved and sat down on his bed, patting the spot next to him to tell her to sit by him. She did, and he wrapped an arm around her. Since she only wore a tank top and boy shorts, she could feel the heat coming from him. She couldn't help the shiver that went down her spine as his hand drew small patterns on her shoulder. He always seemed to do that whenever he held her. He would always draw little designs onto her skin, which she found cute and endearing.

"I had fun tonight. Did you?" She asked.

"Of course. But then, I always have fun when you're with me." He stated, as if it were obvious, tilting his head to kiss her forehead. She smiled and huddled closer to him, and he tightened his arm around her instinctively.

She sighed. "I wish it could always be like this."

"Like what?"

"Like this. Like how we are right now." She answered.

"You want us to always be half naked and groping each other?"

"We are not half nak-"

He cleared his throat with a grin, using his free arm to gesture to her lack of pants, and his shirtless body.

"Fine. But we are _not _groping!"

"For now, that is."

She groaned, rolling her eyes. "You are such an ass."

"I know, but you love it." He responded, moving them so they now faced each other. Rin crossed her legs, watching as Len sat on his knees in front of her with a grin.

"I don't even know why I like you."

His eyes flashed dangerously, sending chills down her spine. "Sure you do." He moved towards her slowly and tossed his knees on either sides on her hips so he was now straddling her. Her eyes widened, but she didn't complain. "You like me, because I'm stunningly attractive, and," he lowered her so her head rested on the pillow. "you and I both felt alone before we met each other," he kissed both of her cheeks, his breath fanning against her face familiarly. "I'm hilarious and have a rocking personality, and finally," his grin was wicked by now. "you love it when I kiss you like this." He lowered his mouth to hers, taking her lower lip between his teeth and sucking on it teasingly, before finally kissing her fully. She could taste the cherry flavored punch on his mouth that they had earlier, and she had to admit, it was delicious. He pressed his lips harder against hers, his tongue slipping into her mouth easily.

Her hands curled into his hair as his hugged her tightly against him. She remembered he liked it when her hands were in his hair, and tugged at his soft, blonde locks gently. He groaned against her mouth, just as he did last time, but this time he wasn't as quiet, despite his sleeping parents down the hall. She pulled once again, and he shifted his hips against hers. It was just a brief and slight movement, but she had still felt it. And Jesus, did it feel _good. _She tugged his hair harder, and in response, he moved against her with a soft moan. She could feel her pulse quicken at his movement, her heart racing. She wondered briefly if she even affected him as much as he is is to her, but when he grinded against her again, the thought disappeared.

Everything about him was intoxicating, and she found herself unable to think properly. The only thought running through her mind at that moment was that she needed more from Len. His taste, his scent, his touch, his warmth. She angled her head and expected him to do the same to deepen it, but instead he did the opposite.

He pulled his lips away from hers with a smirk. "Do you know why you like me _now_?" He asked. Unable to talk, she only nodded, causing a slow smile to spread across his lips. "Good." He murmured, rolling off of her and standing up.

She sat up with a frown. "Why'd you stop?" She asked, seeming to have remembered how to speak.

"This is your punishment for hurting my manly pride." He responded. He grinned before adding, "Although, it's also as much as a punishment to myself. I was enjoying myself, very much."

"Then-"

"No. I'm set on this decision, don't you dare try to break it." He pointed a finger at her accusingly.

She laughed and stood up. "Fine. Can we kiss tomorrow?" Rin asked hopefully.

He nodded. "Of course. I'm not _that_ cruel."

She giggled then walked over to the door before turning around. "Goodnight, Len."

"Goodnight, Rin."

She began towards the door, then turned back around. "You're really not going to go back on your decision?"

"Nope."

"Fine. See you in the morning." She sighed, smiling at him before turning around and leaving. She figured it was okay if he didn't kiss her, just this once.

There was always tomorrow, and that was enough for now.

XOXOXO

**Was that make out scene steamy enough for you? I still tried to keep it clean though... I mean, they only just started dating. Once they're a week or so into their relationship, I'll make things get hot and heavy for them. Maybe even a lemon if you guys are good. ;)**

**Hopefully you guys could see the differences between Len's POV and Rin's. Rin was more innocent, obviously. And Len's was... Well, Len is Len. Which POV did you like better?**

**Question of the Day/Chapter: Which character would you like more of?**

**-See you next time! Xoxoxo, PufferButtercup**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again! It's been 20 days since our little blondes have met, as of the last chapter. But for you guys and me, it's only been a few days. Six or seven, I think. Or, it is at the time that I'm writing this. Thanks for staying with me! **

**Now, this chapter is a little on the long side, and there's a citrusy scene at the end, so... You have been warned!**

**The answer to the question you guys have been asking me for FOREVER: Yes, there will be a lemon. No, it will probably not be soon! There. And apparently some of you demons want someone to walk in on them... Who do you want, though? If I can, I'll try to make that happen, but just tell me who so I can account for it! Are my little perverts happy? **

**In this chapter, Oliver is introduced! Yay! He's so cute I can't handle him sometimes. My little brother is annoying as shit, so I'm making Oliver the perfect little brother. Well, as perfect as little brothers can be! **

**And Kaito is introduced! You'll see later.**

**Also in this chapter is a game Luka and Len play. My friends and I used to play it ALL THE TIME. It was insane, and so hilarious! I hope you guys enjoy it, too...**

**Lastly, in this chapter I made a spur of the moment decision. More on that below!**

**XOXOXO**

**DISCLAIMER: Vocaloid still isn't mine.**

**XOXOXO**

**"Love like this is all I want. Baby, we're fate. Love like this may come once. Baby, we're fate. Like a soul mate, you're my penguin. Baby we're fate, baby it's fate. Not luck."**

**-Christina Perri, Penguin**

**XOXOXO**

A full week. Rin and Len had been going out for that long. Luka had told her Len's longest girlfriend had only been for a night. "A one night stand, obviously." She had giggled. Rin had to admit; dating Len was thrilling. He was always careful and gentle with her, and they never went further than make out sessions. He never pushed her into anything she wasn't ready for. They still hadn't told anyone, but that was okay. They had agreed once they were ready to tell their parents, they would.

It was nice dating her best friend's brother. She was at their house all the time, so when she wasn't goofing off with Luka, she would be spending time with Len. It also helped that Luka had successfully convinced her parents to be homeschooled with Rin, and of course that meant Len was home schooled, too. The three of them were able to be with each other practically 24/7. Sometimes Gakupo would even come over to hang out with them. It was wonderful, and as time passed, with a little help from her friends, she was able to get over her depression. It was perfect.

But deep down inside, Rin had an inkling that it wouldn't last.

XOXOXO

Lenka stood behind the shop's counter as she finished ringing up the customer's total.

"Okay, that'll be ten twenty-seven." She said, placing all his art supplies into a bag. He placed the money on the counter, which she took and put into the cash register, before she handed over his back.

"Thank you." He said with a forced smile before exiting the shop. The bell tinkled above his head.

Lenka watched him through the window as he left. As soon as his car was gone, another pulled into the empty spot. She furrowed her brows and checked the clock on the wall. It was five minutes until closing time. What was this person doing here so late?

She watched in confusion as the person stepped out of the car and into the shop. He had on sunglasses and a hat that blocked his face. He wore an expensive suit, but that wasn't what caught her attention. It was his build. He was lean, and very, very tall. In fact, he was so tall, the only person she knew that was as tall as him was-

"_Kaito_?" She breathed. He removed his hat and sunglasses, then placed them onto the counter. He smiled at her, and she wasn't sure whether to scream, cry, or both.

"Hey, sweet cheeks." He greeted.

Lenka swallowed past the lump in her throat and fought back tears. "What are you doing here?" She asked slowly, voice shaking with anger.

"For you, of course." He paused, before adding, "and our daughter."

"_Our_ daughter?" She asked. "No, she's _my _daughter. She's not yours, not anymore. You missed your opportunity to be her father when you abandoned us." Lenka stared at him furiously.

"Lenka, I demand to see my daughter." He said softly, eyes blazing with- was it anger? Or determination?

"Give me one good reason why." She asked quietly.

"Because I never meant to leave you this long and I'm sorry. I want to try again."

"That's a pretty shitty answer, Kaito."

He laughed humorlessly. "I already found out where you work. Don't think I can't find out where you live."

Lenka was silent. He knew where they lived? No, he had to be lying. He _had_ to.

But...

What if he wasn't? If he knew where they were, he could drop by any time, and Rin was bound to open the door at least once and see him. Then what? Or, what if he wanted to hurt them? He could come by any time!

"How did you find out where we live?" Her voice shook.

"Social media these days... All you have to do is search a name, and you can find out so many things."

"But I don't- I don't have- I'm not on any..." She trailed off as realization struck her. Maybe she wasn't on any social media sites.

But Rin was.

She mentally slapped herself. "You're insane." She backed away from him.

"No. I'm just a father that misses his daughter. and wife." He took a step towards her, and she flinched away from him.

Lenka took a deep breath. "If I let you see her, will you promise never to bug us again?"

"Yes."

"Do you promise not to hurt us?"

"Yes."

Another silence.

"Okay." She said finally. "Come on, then."

XOXOXO

"I don't understand what's so exciting about this." Rin muttered, watching the two as they played rock, paper, scissors. They were now on their final round, thank God.

Len looked over at her and grinned. "You've never played this before?" When she shook her head, he explained, "Okay, before you start, you write down four things that the other person has to do on pieces of paper. Like, 'do the dishes', or 'be shirtless for two hours in the rain' or something. Keep whatever you wrote down a secret, then whoever loses has to randomly choose one of the slips of paper and do whatever it says. Luka and I play it once every month and we make whatever we write down pretty cruel." He looked back at Luka.

"Okay, ready, and, go!" She shouted. They both stuck their hands out, Luka's in a fist for 'rock' and Len's flat for 'paper'.

She swiveled her hips in victory dance. "I win, I win! You lose! You loooose!" She sang, picking up her papers. She held them, blank side facing Len. Rin stood up from the couch and walked over to stand behind Luka. She peeked over her shoulder to see what was written on the paper, then erupted into laughter.

Len frowned. "As much as I enjoy my girlfriend laughing, I'm pretty worried."

"Pick already!" Luka ordered while Rin tried to contain her giggles.

He plucked the paper second from the right and turned it over. As his eyes scanned over it, they immediately widened. "Hell, Luka! You're messed up." He shouted angrily as the two girls laughed.

"What's going on?" A soft, tired, childish voice called out from the top of the stairs. Oliver emerged from the darkness and came down the stairs, swaying tiredly. His blonde hair was sleep mussed, and his eye lids were droopy. She had seen him around the house a few times, but had never really talked to him.

"Luka wants me to tell Mom and Dad I'm gay, then act like it for a week whenever I'm around them." He answered, suddenly calm. Every shred of anger had faded away, replaced now by a protective older brother. "Anyways, you need to go sleep. It's ten, your bed time is at eight."

Ignoring Len's request, Oliver's eyes trailed over to Rin. His tired face brightened immediately. "You're the princess!" He exclaimed.

"Uh, I don't think-" Rin began, before he interrupted her.

"Len told me he had a girlfriend that was a princess!" Oliver insisted. "He said she was blonde and tiny and really, really pretty!"

She turned to Len as Luka excused herself, laughing and whooping wildly as she left the room.

"I did not say that." He said, raising his hands with a shrug.

"You said she was pretty and smart and wonderful and a princess." The younger boy accused.

"I said _like_ a princess." Len corrected.

Oliver's mouth opened in an 'o'. "But she's so pretty, she _has_ to be a princess." Rin blinked in surprise.

"She's not, now go back to bed." He demanded, not without affection.

"Fiiiine." He sighed, hugging Len, then turning to her. "I like you. You should marry Len!" He announced before going back upstairs.

"You told him we were dating?" Rin asked, turning to Len.

"It's just Oliver. He won't tell anyone, he's a good kid." Len promised. "And he has good judgements. Since he likes you..." He trailed off, pulling her against him. She smiled up at him and brushed her lips against his cheek. He turned his head and managed to catch her lips with his, kissing her gently, his mouth slowly easing hers open.

"Ew, nasty." Luka groaned.

Len pulled away with a sigh. "Really, Luka? You have to interrupt us? I'm a horny, hormonal, male teenager. I need some pleasure. Jesus." He scowled at her. Rin blushed at his words, but Luka seemed to be more disgusted by it.

"That's nasty! You're so gross, Len." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

"It's okay, Luka." Rin smiled at her. "I was just leaving, anyways."

She and Len both burst into, "What?!"s and "What the hell?"s.

"I have to go! My mom texted me while you two were playing, and she wants me home by ten thirty. It's ten twenty right now."

Luka pouted. "Fine. See you tomorrow." The two hugged briefly before Rin turned to the other blonde. He was scowling and looked like a kid about to throw a tantrum. She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. His scowl left his face, and he now was grinning crookedly at her.

"Night, babe." He murmured, kissing her once more.

"'Babe'?" Rin echoed.

She felt his grin against her mouth. "Just trying it out."

"Hmm." She kissed him again, smiling. "I like it."

"Good. Now get going before I give your mom another reason to hate me." He shoved her off of him jokingly.

She giggled and stepped away from him. "I L-bomb you." It had become incredibly meaningful. Instead of 'I love you', which they thought was too soon for their relationship, they had become accustomed to saying 'I L-bomb you'.

Len's mouth quirked up, eyes dancing with affection. "I L-bomb you, too."

XOXOXO

Rin flung open the door and slammed it behind her as she walked into the living room. "Mom, I'm he-" She closed her mouth abruptly as she stared at the scene before her. Lenka sat at the coffee table, completely silent and unmoving. Her eyes snapped over to Rin as she entered the room. But Rin was no longer looking at her. She was looking at the man next to her.

"_Dad_?" She choked out, tears brimming her eyes. Her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides.

_No. I will not cry in front of this man._

He looked at her, face affectionate as if everything was okay. "Rin."

"Rin, your father would like to explain his... Disappearance to you." Lenka smiled at her, but she could tell it was fake and forced. "I haven't heard his explanation yet, either."

Her heart ached at the sight of them sitting together. It could've been like a normal day for them. They could've been a normal family.

_But that will never happen._

"He wants to explain why he abandoned us? Seriously?" She sneered in a way that was completely unlike her. "It's because he's a man whore and wanted a good screw." Lenka widened her eyes.

"Rin, don't-"

She turned to her, voice rising to a shout. Her eyes blazed with fury. "You're defending him? Mom, wh-"

"No, but I raised you better than that. I don't want to hear words like 'man whore' or 'screw' coming out of your mouth." Despite the situation, Lenka still managed to sound motherly. It almost made Rin smile. Almost.

"Fine." She turned to her father, glaring at him despite the tears in her eyes. "Why're you here?" Her fingers traced her old scars absentmindedly from when she had self harmed. The scars that were his fault. His fault, his fault, his fault. Why did he have to come back? It wasn't at all fair, and it made Rin feel angry and hopeless all over again.

"Sit down first, sweetie."

"No thank you, I'm fine over here."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Rin, Lenka... Rin was right when she said I had left for... Another screw. But, there's more to that. The day after I ran off with the woman, Miku, I felt horrible. I wanted to come back, but she- she had recorded us. She threatened to send it to my boss- who turned out to be her uncle- and have me fired."

"There was a sex tape?" Rin asked, confusion and twisted amusement her eyes. Lenka shushed her, and ushered Kaito to continue.

"Yes. Anyway, she forced me to stay. She was a psychopath, and I sincerely wanted to come back. Eventually, one day when she was out, I found the video and destroyed it. She found out and told my boss, he fired me, and I figured I had nothing else to lose. I came back home, only to hear from the neighbors that you had moved away. I had to contact my brother, and he let me stay with him. I stayed with him for about a month before I finally found another job and saved enough money for a small apartment. During that whole period I was trying to find you two, but once I was employed and earning a lot of money, I could actually focus on searching for you two. So, I remembered that my brother had an account on some social media site. I hacked his account, found Rin, and luckily found out where you worked, Lenka. And where you both lived. I needed time, thou-"

"Why?" Lenka asked. It had been the first time she'd spoken since he had begun explaining. Her voice was weak and quiet. Kaito looked at her, and his eyes softened.

"I wanted to earn enough money, so when I came back, I would be able to support you, if you'd let me."

"You're back." She repeated. It was more of a statement, but he answered anyways.

"Yes. And I still love you." He smiled sadly, almost hopefully at Lenka. "I'm so, so sorry. Please, let me try again. Let me try again." His eyes sparked with hope and affection. Tears spilled over her mother's cheeks.

"I don't know. I don't know." She whispered. Rin watched the two uncomfortably, blinking away her own tears. She didn't know whether she was happy her father returned- or angry because he expected them to accept him.

"Please, Lenka. The moment you think I'm not loyal to you, you can kick me out. _Please._" He pleaded. His voice broke, and she could see tears brimming his eyes. She didn't know how to feel about it all. Should she even feel anything?

Her mother swallowed. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. "Okay." She breathed, opening her eyes. Rin felt a pang-maybe it was love, or anger, she didn't know- go through her chest. "But it's going to take years before I trust you again." He began to say something, but Lenka cut him off. "But! One wrong move and you're out." She said.

"Thank you, my beautiful, amazing, gracious, loving wife!" He laughed and hugged her. And much to her surprise, Lenka hugged him back, smiling so discreetly, it was almost invisible. But Rin saw it. Her mother looked genuinely happy, and once again in love, like her old self before he had left. Rin smiled.

And maybe they could be a happy family again.

XOXOXO

Rin lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. It was weird, having her father back. Sure, it was nice enough. But she felt uneasy around him, like he could leave again at a moments notice. It was like the whole universe was playing some sort of sick joke on her, causing her stress and depression and hurt and fear, forcing her to get over it all, and then bringing back the very cause of all the sadness. She wanted to think maybe this time he would be different, but how could she be sure? She guessed the best she could do at the minute is to do as her mother was doing; give him another chance ad see what happens.

She sighed and closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep. Just as she felt herself drifting off, a 'tap tap' at her window jolted her awake. She turned over, expecting the tree branch scratching the window to be the cause of the noise, and instead found her boyfriend perched on the branch cautiously, watching her with amusement. He cocked an eyebrow at her, as if to ask "can I come in?".

She threw her legs over the side of the bed and leaned over to open the window. As soon as the glass had been slid open, he crawled inside, landing on his feet with a soft thump.

"What're you doing here? And how did you manage to get here?" Rin asked. Her parents were still down stairs talking, so she didn't have to worry about them hearing her talk with Len. Hopefully.

"Don't tell me you've never noticed the conveniently placed oak tree between our houses with branches that lead to both our windows?" He smirked. When she motioned for him to continue, he explained, "I'm here because I heard raised voices earlier, and I didn't recognize the car parked in front of your house. I was worried about you."

She couldn't help the smile that spread across her lips. "You climbed across a tree just because you were worried about me?" She asked softly.

"Well, duh. I kinda just said so. Pay attention."

"Shut up, asstart. I meant, you really did that for me?"

The corner of his lips tugged up into a smile. "I would do anything for you."

Instead of speaking, she stood on her tip toes and brushed her lips against his cheek. He had held his breath as she did so, only letting it out when she pulled away. It came out in a small gush of air. He twined their fingers together and pulled up their hands to his mouth, brushing his lips against their knuckles.

"I L-bomb you." He murmured.

"I L-bomb you, too."

"And you're sure you're okay?"

She nodded ."Yes. Well..." She frowned. "Kinda. I'll explain everything to you tomorrow morning."

When he opened his mouth to complain, she interrupted with, "You look tired. Go rest."

She saw his eyes flash, and knew she was in trouble. "Okay." He replied, walking them back onto her bed. When the back of her knees hit the mattress, she fell backwards, taking him with her. He scooted them so their heads were on the pillows, before rolling off of her and onto his side. He pulled the covers onto them with a grin, then wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against him.

"Goodnight, Rin." He pecked her lightly. When she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, he said, "I'll be gone by the morning, don't worry about it."

"You're- we're- We're going to sleep together?" She stammered, more than a little flustered.

"In the very literal sense, yeah. Is that okay with you?" He pulled back slightly, and she pulled him back.

"Yes."

"Good." He pressed his lips to hers gently, expertly easing her mouth open to slip his tongue in. His hands rested on her hips, the pads of his thumbs brushing under the hem of her shirt to play with her skin. She shivered lightly, once again amazed at the effect he had on her.

He slid himself on top of her, raising himself onto his elbows, scared he would crush her. His mouth continued to move against hers, slowly and teasingly. Her whole body burned with want and need, and she hooked her fingers through his belt loops, pulling him flush against her. Her sudden brashness was a surprise not only to her, but to Len as well. He made a noise of approval as soon as their hips connected, and she felt the familiar warmth she always did. She parted her legs slightly, allowing him to be situated between her thighs for better access as he moved against her again. Feeling especially confident, Rin rolled her hips against him and arched her back. She was rewarded with a soft groan from him and his hands came up to cup her face.

"Rin, do you have any idea how hard you're making this for me?" He mumbled against her lips as he grinded against her with a moan.

"A little bit, yeah." She panted, wrapping her arms around his waist to pull him against her once more and biting her lip to stop a moan. She could feel his growing erection against her, and she had to admit, she liked it. She brushed a knee against his groin, causing him to drop his head into the crook of her neck as he cursed in pleasure.

"Stop it, that's not fair." He stilled his movements completely, propping himself back onto his elbows, and she frowned. He kissed her slowly again as he tried to keep their make-out session PG13. Rin was having none of it. She pulled his hips back down onto hers, and he tossed his head back.

"_Shit_, Rin." He swore, pressing his lips eagerly against hers and invading her mouth with his tongue. His hands tightened momentarily on her face, and broke away from her. "I'm trying not to loss control, but it's pretty hard when you keep insisting we dry hump." He scowled at her, but there was a distinctive look on his face. An expression she could only describe as aroused.

"You don't want to?" She asked, purely surprised.

"Of course I want to. That's the problem. I don't- If we continue this, I doubt I'd be able to stop myself from screwing you senseless." His eyes bore into hers.

"I'm a big girl. I can always stop you if you go too far." She said, glad her voice didn't shake. "Besides, you'd be doing us a disfavor if you stopped right now."

He seemed to think it over for a moment, before saying, "You're right." His voice was low and husky, causing her to shudder. He moved his lips back onto hers, kissing her with total and complete abandon. His tongue slipped into her mouth, swallowing her taste and breath and sliding against her own tongue, warm and wet. His hands gripped her hips as he spread her legs further apart with his knee. He pressed himself into her, grinding against her roughly. It was nothing like they had done before, and she loved it. He raised himself up, grinding against her harder and harder with each movement.

He pulled his lips away from hers and buried his face into her neck. She felt his tongue dart out and taste her skin, before he moved his head lower. He moved her shirt neckline away with his teeth, and sucked the space between her collar bones, teeth grazing the sensitive skin.

She moaned softly, hands coming up to tangle themselves in his hair. With the combined sensations of his arousal pressing against her centre and his mouth on her skin, she felt all reason slipping away. She looked down at Len, only to find his blue eyes already on hers. He grinned wickedly and licked his way back up her neck, to her mouth, where he continued to suck her lower lip. She knew he had left a hickey- he looked so proud of himself because of that fact- but she wasn't at all worried. For the moment, she just needed more of him.

She tugged his hair lightly and pulled his lips off of hers. He looked at her in confusion. "Too much?" He asked breathlessly, still sounding husky.

Rin shook her head. "No." She picked at his shirt. "I want this off."

His eyes darkened considerably at that, and in one swift movement, it was off and on the floor. She began to lift up her shirt, when he stopped her.

"Rin, you don't have to do that." He said, although she knew he secretly wanted her to. She was happy he wasn't pushing her- he really could be a gentleman a lot of the time.

"I want to, though." His eyes widened, before he grinned his signature grin, the one that meant he was up to no good, and slid his hands underneath her top. He yanked off her shirt and tossed it aside. Rin wished she had worn a more exciting bra than just a plain, white, white, cotton one, but the thought faded away as she looked at Len's expression.

"God, why couldn't we have done this sooner?" He wondered aloud, pulling them into a sitting position.

"Because you thought I wasn't ready for anything." She answered matter-of-factly.

He smirked. "I'm starting to think you're becoming more sarcastic because of me."

"Don't give yourself too much credit." She retorted, then blanched. "Holy crap, I am, aren't I?!"

"It's pretty hot, actually." He laughed. "And I'm not just saying that to cop a feel." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her.

"Ugh, you're such an assbutt."

"Yeah, but it helps you feel comfortable, doesn't it?"

She opened her mouth to deny it, then realized it was true. His grin widened. "We're disgusting, aren't we?"

He nodded. "Definitely." He gently caressed her cheek, before slowly sliding it down to her chest. "Which is another reason why we are absolutely perfect together." He murmured, leaning down to lick the area between her breasts.

She sucked in a breath at the feeling, and he pulled away immediately. "Shit, I'm sorry." He apologized. Rin noticed he swore a lot more when he was tired and/or turned on.

"No, it's- it's fine. It felt... _good._"

He raised his eyebrows, then leaned back down and repeated the action. She made a soft noise of approval and trailed her hands down his chest lightly, causing him goosebumps.

He pulled away once again with a shudder. "We should stop for tonight."

"Okay." She frowned. "Why?"

"Because now I'm full on horny and wanting to fuck you, and I'd rather take you out on more dates first." He answered honestly, biting back a grin. "I really don't think I can control myself much longer."

"Okay." She whispered, placing a chaste kiss on his lips. She tried to pull away, but he pressed his lips forcefully onto hers, taking her by surprise. He pushed them backwards and grabbed her waist, bucking his hips against hers and kissing her frantically. He was obviously still aroused, but managed to pull himself away and rolled off of her.

"Damnit woman, when I say we should stop, that doesn't mean _you fucking kiss me by surprise._" He scolded. "What part of 'I'm horny and uncontrollable' don't you understand?"

"Sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry." She rolled onto her side to face him. "It's just- I didn't really think anything would happen."

"You're impossible."

"I said I was sorry! Besides..." She bit her lip, smiling. "The hot factor is definitely turned up when you're horny and uncontrollable."

His eyes flashed, and he moved his hand toward her, before jerking it back with a groan. "Stop it!" He reached over and pulled on his shirt, and she did the same. "I'm trying to be a good, mature boyfriend here, and you're not helping!"

Giggling, she snuggled closer into him. His arms wrapped around her reluctantly and he groaned again. "If I do anything bad you _have _to stop me."

"Okay, I will. Now shut up and sleep with me."

"And please refrain from saying anything remotely dirty."

"What? All I said was sleep with m-" His hips moved against hers and he growled softly.

"You. Are not. Funny." He breathed. Rin laughed maniacally.

"I think I'm pretty amusing."

"I hate you."

"Oh, come on, Len. If you did, we wouldn't be having this problem in the first place."

"Jesus, you need to stop." He pleaded. "When you're being sarcastic, you sound like me, and the fact that I'm rubbing off on you is too damn sexy."

"You're such a spazz."

"Sure. But I'm also a _hormonal teenage boy. _You gotta stop that shit, babe."

Rin looked up at him. "Not a chance." She swiveled her hips and his eyes widened and lips parted. He immediately rolled his hips against hers then sighed in frustration.

"Pure evil." He whispered. At least she knew she affected him as much as he did to her.

"And you wouldn't have me any other way."

"Yes I would. I would love to have you naked and pinned under my body, moaning my name- but I'm kinda trying to be a gentleman, here."

She rolled her eyes with a smile, blushing lightly, hands resting on his chest and head tucked under his chin. "Goodnight, dear." Her eyes drifted shut.

He smiled, his mood slightly better and horniness somewhat controllable now. "Night, babe." He whispered, pressing his lips to the top of her head.

**XOXOXO**

**ARGH. How was that last scene for you...? Thoughts? Was horny Len as hot to you as it was intended to be? And are you looking forward for a lemon? Writing that scene was pretty difficult- I feel so dirty about writing it, eek! *hides face* Did you like it, though? **

**Now that that her dad's back... Expect more Rin and Len fluffy goodness! :) Rin'll finally be for sure over her depression because all the loose ends have been tied. Her father is back! Yay! So, a lot of fluff is coming, and more random drama stuff that they'll have to overcome. Like high school... *cough cough* I mean, what? Spoilers!**

**At the top, I said I'd shed some light on my 'spur of the moment decision'. That would be brining Kaito in. I feel like I can do a lot of things with that character... Or make other characters react to his appearance. Like Rin needing Len to comfort/distract her. With his BODY. Mwahahahaha... Any who, since there was no official divorce, yes, Kaito and Lenka are still married. Although I'm planning something for the future. Like maybe they have another wedding or something? And stuff can happen and it'll be rad. I dunno. **

**Question of the Day/Chapter: Do you want more make out scenes, or should we get on with the story?**

**-See you next time**! **Xoxoxo, PufferButtercup**


	7. Chapter 7

**Finally! A new chapter. A couple of you messaged me asking if I was going to discontinue.**

**OF COURSE NOT! **

**How could I let you and these characters down?! Hoooww?!**

**So, I will never discontinue this story. I promise! **

**Anywhoodledoodledoo, I haven't updated until now cause I've been busy with school, had minor writer's block, and last year I bought Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and just a little while ago decided to play it. Needless to say, I've been obsessed with it! Like, it's so bad. IF YOU WANT! YOU GUYS SHOULD VISIT MY TOWN! I named it Yohmama as a joke, and it's pretty great...**

**Ahem! Sorry, I'm totally off track. Well, you guys asked for it, so you get 'gay Len'! It's only for a short scene though, because it was added just now, but... I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! It's a bit filler, but oh well. We're going to get back to the actual plot soon, but don't worry! Plenty of make out scenes, and even a lemonade in the future. :) **

**There are probably a bunch of mistakes in this chapter, but I just really wanted to get you guys a new one, so...**

**When Len and Rin go to the park and it's raining, THAT WAS VERY LOOSELY BASED OFF AN ADVENTURE WITH MY BETA, PEACOCK-LOVER! xD We went to the library on Dr. Seuss day and ended up performing with the drama club from our school for the little kids. It was great! And then after that, we walked to the park in the pouring rain, went on the swings, dropped out phones, like, a billion times (although, I was the one who dropped mine, not her... I'm a klutz!)... And then we walked back to my house and read our books we checked out from the library. But on the way there, I got us lost... Hahahaha! I couldn't find my own house for half an hour... But anyways, it was an adventure! It was so fun. But Len and Rin's adventure is more romantic than Peacock-Lover's and mine. I promise.**

**XOXOXO**

**DISCLAIMER: Oh please. You know the drill.**

**XOXOXO**

**Huge thanks to Pecock-Lover! My bestie, the blonde to my brunette, my token white girl! I love you to pieces, and we would make the best lesbo couple ever.**

**XOXOXO**

**"Love like this is all I want. Baby, we're fate. Love like this may come once. Baby, we're fate. Like a soul mate, you're my penguin. Baby we're fate, baby it's fate. Not luck."**

**-Christina Perri, Penguin**

**XOXOXO**

"Act one!" Len announced, flipping his hair, and slammed the closet door shut. Luka choked back her laughter at the horror on her parent's faces and the confusion on Oliver's.

"Wh-What is he doing?" The little boy asked. He got no answer from his parents and he humphed in frustration. Luka eyed the boy curiously. Len told him that he would pretend to be gay- was Oliver not paying attention?

And then he turned to her, and smiled, obviously pleased with himself.

_Nope, he knows._

She smiled and rolled her eyes. That boy was so adorably smart sometimes. Although, sometimes he was too smart for his own good.

"Act two!" Len's voice came muffled from the inside of the closet, and then he flung open the door and stepped out, clad in her dress-up feather boa. He had glitter on his eyelids, from who knows where from, and was in their mother's stilettos, which were easily six inches.

"I'm gaaaay!" He called with a smile, striking a flamboyant pose. Luka burst into laughter as their parents gawked at him.

Len wrinkled his nose at this, and put his hands on his hips femininely. "Whaaat?"

Neru cleared her throat. "Um, nothing. Just... Shocked, considering your-uh- track record with girls."

He giggled, and Oliver and Luka were laughing so hard they were about to cry at this point. "Well, why do you think I never could settle with a girl? I like the d. Duh." He tried his best to ignore his siblings that were now laughing hysterically.

"Len, when did you... Become gay?" Rinto asked. His expression was a mix between confusion and disbelief.

"Dad, as the great goddess Lady Gaga once said, '_I_ _was born this way, hey_.'" He rolled his eyes. "You don't just become gay."

"Okay. Well, we're okay with that, it's just- this is just a huge surprise to us." Neru explained with a small smile. "If you're gay, then we don't mind at all."

"That is totally fab. Totes faboo." He smiled and sat down on the arm chair beside the couch, crossing his legs. "Who wants to get in their footsie pajamas, watch Hilary Duff movies, and eat gluten free pizza?" Oliver and his parents quickly said no and disappeared upstairs. They could hear Oliver's giggles as he left. Luka turned to Len, who grinned and uncrossed his legs.

"You enjoyed yourself, didn't you?"

"Fuck yes."

"Where'd you get the glitter?"

"Your makeup."

"Len!"

"What is it, darling sister? I do believe you told me to be gay, and I was only obeying your orders."

She scoffed. "Whatever. And why'd you get the really big heels?"

"Go big or go home."

"That's stupid. I thought gays were clever."

"Nothing less than six inches, I always say."

"_Len_! Gross!" She exclaimed in disgust. His grin widened.

"Now that I'm supposedly gay, what if I did random flamboyant things? Like, what if I had sex with Gakupo with 'Cotton Eyed Joe' playing in the background?"

"Len, don't you da-"

"_Where did he cum from?"_

"LEN!"

"No, I'm not done yet!" He held up his hand as he tried to control his laughter. "I have puns, since according to you, gays are clever and witty and great and fabulous."

"Oh my God."

"What do you call someone who idolizes French culture?"

Luka sighed. "What?"

"A ouiabeaux."

"For God's sakes!"

"WAIT! I have one more! What do you call a dictionary on drugs?"

"If you say 'addictionary' I swear to God I will slit your throat."

"I was actually going to say 'high definition' but yours is better."

"Jesus Christ."

"Let's not bring Him into this."

"GOD FUCKING DAMNIT, LEN!"

XOXOXO

Rin yawned and pried open her bleary eyes. She wiped them clean, and stretched out on the bed, which now smelled vaguely of Len's cologne. She sat up slowly and caught a glimpse of a white paper out of the corner of her eye. Moving hair out of her face, she turned and reached over to read it.

_Rin,_

_Like I promised, I left in the morning. Whoever says I'm a liar is an ass. Sorry for ripping out a piece of paper from your notebook thing, but it was all that I could find. Nice drawings, by the way. Although, I do believe drawing me on a horse was a bit much. I enjoyed it nonetheless, however._

_Anyways, I L-bomb you, and I'll come by around ten. That's when your mom leaves, right? I'll be there then. _

_Yours,_

_Len_

_P.S._

_Did you know you talk in your sleep? ;)_

Rin scoffed with a roll of her eyes at stood up. She glanced at the clock, which had a blaring "9:38" in red, and realized she still had to shower, change clothes, brush teeth, brush hair, then eat breakfast.

And she only had twenty two minutes to do so.

Darn!

She rushed into the bathroom and hastily brushed her teeth and combed her hair, opted to skip a shower, and pulled on a change of clothes. By then, it was 9:49.

She slid down the stairs and into the kitchen, just as her mom stood up to leave.

"Hey sweetie. Your father left at seven to get to work, and he'll be home at eight. You sure you're okay alone?" When Rin nodded, Lenka smiled and kissed we forehead.

"Okay. I'll see you later, then."

"Bye, Mom. I love you."

"Love you, too." She said, then exited the house. Rin watched as she entered the blue minivan and drove away, leaving her alone.

She moved over to the cupboard and made a bowl of cereal, ate it quickly, washed her bowl, and sat down on the couch. Her skin prickled with excitement and anticipation as she waited for her boyfriend.

Her boyfriend.

It was still such a big change, knowing they were dating, and sometimes she had to remind herself it wasn't just dream. And last night- when she woke up it all felt like a dream, too. But his note proved that everything they did was real. She honestly felt ashamed with herself for their hard-core-make-out session, but the rebel part of her wanted to do it again. Needless to say, she was torn.

_Ding dong!_

Her face lit up as she hopped over to the door and pulled it open. "Len!" She smiled and threw her arms around his neck.

"Jesus girl, it's been less than a day." He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. "I missed you, too." He murmured more seriously.

They broke apart and Rin pulled him inside and closed the door. "How did you make your parents let you come here?" She asked.

"Weeell..." He drawled, his mouth pulling up at the corners. "I told them I was gay, they said that was fine, then disappeared probably to have sex to have a boy who wasn't adopted and isn't 'gay'. Although, I suspect they're going to screw to take their minds off of my sexuality. But-"

"_Len. No._"

He frowned. "I thought I was being clever."

"I wonder if donkeys see you and think you're one of their own- you know, cause you're an ass."

"I really am rubbing off on you." He smirked. "Anyway, you said something was wrong last night, and I demand to know. What's up?"

She took a deep breath, and knew there was no hiding. "My father's back."

XOXOXO

After she was done explaining, Len had plenty of questions.

"Your mom just accepted him again?"

"Yes."

"Are you okay with that?"

"I dunno. I guess."

"Do you think he's sincere?"

"Yes."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "...are you sure you're okay?"

"I think."

Len's eyes flashed. "If he makes you cry again, I swear to God-"

"Hey! Shush. I'm fine, I promise." Rin confirmed, although even she doubted she was 'fine'. It was bizarre having her father back, but if it made her mom happy...

He frowned, as if sensing her doubts, but didn't question her again. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "What do you wanna do today? Do you want me to bring Luka-"

"No. I just want it to be us today. I finished all my homework for the month, so I can spend more time with you and Luka, but I want today just for us." She managed a smile, still more than a little flustered at her father's return. She knew Len knew this, but was thankful he didn't mention it.

"Okay, I can do that. What time do you need to be home?" He questioned, slinging an arm around her waist.

"Seven. That's when Mom gets off, and... And Dad will be here at eight." She shuddered, then said, "Holy crap on a cracker, it's so weird calling him my dad."

Len laughed, shaking his head. "I know, I know. And I'm sorry, it's just- 'holy crap on a cracker'? Who even _says_ that?"

"Um, I do apparently. Hush your mouth."

"Yes, m'lady."

"Anyways," Rin said, deciding to change the subject. "where can we go?"

"Many places. Depends on if you want rated R or PG13." He winked suggestively at her, and she elbowed his ribs.

"I want PG13. Last night was a little... Intense." She quickly added. "I'm sorry, it's- I just- I'm not-"

He chuckled. "I completely understand. We were just trying some things, okay? We never have to do that again until you're ready."

She sighed, smiling in relief. "You're a good boyfriend."

"Of course I am. So, PG13 places..." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "We could go bowling, or go to a park, or a bunch of other romantic, sappy places. What do you want, Princess?"

"First of all; Don't call me Princess, you dork. I think I like M'lady better." He sighed dramatically, but motioned for her to continue. "And... Let's go to the park!" She decided with a smile.

"Got it, _m'lady_."

"Len!"

He laughed as he led her outside, still holding her waist.

XOXOXO

"But it's Spring. Why is it raining?" Rin wondered aloud, sitting on the damp swing. The park was rather empty, only a few people remained, most of which were either on the monkey bars or on the slides.

"It still rains in the Spring, smart one." He answered, causing her to stick her tongue out at him. He laughed and shook his head. "Very mature." Len pulled his hood up over his head, and she did the same. She was very thankful she had brought her jacket today, though she doubted it would stop her from being sick. Her immune system was crap, but she didn't want to tell him or he'd take her home. She wanted to spend the day with him, so she would.

"If your father does something bad to you, you'll tell me, right?" He asked, moving to sit on the swing next to her.

"Yes." She answered automatically. "You always know if I'm hiding something from you anyways, so what would be the point?" She joked, although it was all too true.

He frowned, having none of it. "Because I just don't want you to be hurt again. You think I don't notice it, but sometimes when we touch, I feel your scars."

Rin tugged at her sleeves, as if she could hide them. "Oh." Shame clouded her heart, effectively darkening her mood. "They're ugly, aren't they?" She asked, mostly to herself than to him.

Len glanced sideways at her. "What? How could you even /think/ that? Nothing about you is ugly." He insisted.

"Girls aren't supposed to have scars." She said matter-of-factly.

"And yet millions of girl do. Do you know why?" She shook her head. "Because they all hurt inside too. Some are just better at hiding it than others. Your scars aren't ugly- they're- they're stories. They're your battle marks, they show that you've overcome your pain, and I think that beautiful."

"But they're not beautiful."

He sighed, and leaned his head back to look at the sky. "Of course they're not. They're still scars. But the story behind the scars- the story that you fixed so you would have a happy ending- that's beautiful." He closed his eyes, and droplets of rain fell from his eye lashes like tears. "If you loved yourself half as much as I do, it'd still be enough to give you the self confidence you deserve."

Rin's eyes widened. Everything he had said was beautiful and kind, but that's not what caught her attention. He just said he loved her! Sure, it was indirect, but-"You love me?" She asked in awe.

His eyes opened slowly and widened. His grip on the chains that held the swing tightened so hard, his knuckles turned white. "Well, shit." He jerked his gaze to hers. "I'm so sorry, I said I wouldn't rush you into anything- I-_fuck_! Just forget-"

"No!" Rin exclaimed turning slightly in her swing to face him. "I don't want to forget it." She smiled weakly at him. "I love you, too."

He grinned his famous grin that she knew him all too well for, and walked over to her swing to kneel down in front of it. In this position, she was barely taller than him, despite him on his knees and her boosted up by the swing. His hands reached up to cup her face. "I love you." He kissed her nose, causing her to giggle. He kissed both her cheeks, and then her lips, softer and gentler than ever. The water made their lips slip and slide together, but it wasn't a sloppy kiss. Every time Len kissed her, it was always precise. Her hands moved up to grasp his hair and caused his hood to fall off, but he didn't seem to care. Well, not about that.

Pulling away from her, he said with a grin, "I don't think people are going to enjoy our public display of affection."

She laughed. "You kissed me."

"And you kissed me back, did you not? Stop trying to pin everything on me, you horrible girlfriend."

"Me? A bad girlfriend? I'm a great girlfriend, thank you very much. The tent in your pants proves it." She shot back boldly.

"Woah. We decided to keep this date PG13." He raised his hands up as if to say 'I'm out'. "At least I didn't act on my bad intentions."

She paused. "Okay, you've got me there." She relented finally. He smiled.

"Do I get a prize for winning yet another battle?"

"Len!" She tsk tsked him. "Not until we get home, you man whore."

He laughed and rolled his eyes. "Not _that_ type of prize. I want to choose a nickname for you that you have to accept."

"I thought it was 'babe'."

"It was. But I have a better one."

"I swear to God, if it's m'la-"

"It's m'lady."

"No!"

"Yes. It's my prize."

"Fine. Then I'm calling you m'lord."

"You think it's a punishment, but it's not. I actually like that nickname." He taunted.

"Crap."

"Don't worry. You'll come to love it." He assured.

"Doubtful."

"Whatever. Anyways, _m'lady,_ do you want to go on the monkey bars?"

"Len-"

"Or, maybe, _m'lady_ we could go on the slide! M'lady, we could always feed the birds. Or, m'lady," he leaned forward and brushed his mouth against her ear, knocking her hood back. His hot breath tickled her cold skin, "we could always head home and lock ourselves in bed. Whatever you like, m'lady."

Rin shivered.

She really was going to love that nickname.

XOXOXO

**Hahaha! I had to end it like that. Don't worry- plenty of make out scenes in the future. ;) And a lemonade, so stay tuned!**

**I had fun writing this chapter! It's a huge step forward in their relationship, due to the 'I love you' s. Yuuuuup.**

**Sorry once again for how long it took me to update! I'll try to work faster... I'm just so busy! AAAUUGH! **

**I'll start sending out sneak peaks of the next chapter, if you like? If you want one, just comment asking for a sneak peak, and I'll message you one. Just so you guys know I'm working on updating! TA DA! Problem kinda solved. **

**Question of the Day: What do you want to happen in the next chapter?**

**-See you next time! Xoxoxo, PufferButtercup**


	8. Chapter 8

**Last chapter was really sappy...  
**

**And all sappy things must come to an end, even if it is as wonderful as maple syrup. Yummmm.**

**So, quite frankly, in this chapter and the next few: Shit hits the fan. Len and Rin tell their parents about them going out; but that's basically the only good thing in this chapter. You'll see what I mean soon enough.**

**I'm seriously having second guesses on this fanfic, and I may or may not take it down, edit everything, and then repost.**

**Also, sorry I haven't been updating as fast! **

**Final thing! To clarify, yes, Len's adoptive parents are Neru and Rinto. We cool? We cool.**

**XOXOXO**

**DISCLAIMER: You know the drill.**

**XOXOXO**

**Chapter Songs:**

**Penguin- Christina Perri**

**I'm Not Okay (I Promise)- My Chemical Romance**

** XOXOXO**

"So... Mom and... And Dad..." Rin sucked in a deep breath as they stared at her from across the dinner table. "I'm seventeen, and turning eighteen in December, and I was just wondering... Do you think we could maybe discuss about me being allowed to date?" She asked, poking at her plate with her fork nervously.

Her mother stared at her, shocked. "Um, why d- Who are you thinking about dating..?"

"Well, uh,"_ I've kinda been seeing Len from next door without your permission and we agreed to tell our parents after we've dated for a month. Oh, and we also sneak out at night to see each other. Surprise_. She swallowed thickly. "Just... A boy."

"But, who?" Lenka repeated. Rin sighed and mumbled a name incoherently under her breath.

"What was that?" Kaito questioned, leaning forward.

_It's now or never._

"Len." She answered quietly, staring at her plate.

"Is he the blonde one next door? The one around Rin's age?" He questioned.

"Yes. He is. The same one who apparently slept around and was arrested, more than once." Lenka said quietly, eyes on Rin. Kaito raised his eyebrows in shock.

"That's the boy you want to date?" He murmured.

"Yes. Yes, he is." She confirmed, putting down her fork to hide her shaking hands.

"Rin, not-please, not _him_." Lenka begged. "He's not good for you-"

"Yes, he is, Mom. I know you're trying to protect me from harm, from a broken heart, etcetera. But he's changed!"

"How can you be so s-"

"Mom, believe me, please. I've been spending weeks with that boy- he's different. He listens to me and calms me down whenever I have one of my panic attacks-"

"I thought you said you were over those!" Her mom gasped.

She smiled sadly. "I lied. I didn't want any more therapy, and I definitely didn't want you to worry. They don't come as often- but when they do, _he is always there."_ Her smile widened. "And when I want to hurt myself- he's there for that, too. Mom, he makes me _happy_. God," She giggled and shook her head. "It's been years since I've actually been happy. Please, Mom. Please."

Her mother eyed her skeptically, before a small, reluctant smile fell onto her lips. "So he's the reason why." Rin looked at her questioningly, and Lenka laughed. She went on, "The reason why you smile. Don't! Don't give me that look, I know all those times you would smile and laugh- fake. It was all an act. You played the part well, but I knew."

"... I'm sorry."

"No!" Lenka laughed again and shook her head. "Don't apologize. I'm happy for you. I'm happy that you're finally happy." She stood up and walked over to hold Rin. "You will always be my baby girl, and if this boy is want you want- go for it."

"Thank you so much, Mom!" She squealed happily, hugging her tightly. Kaito smiled at the two of them.

"Now that is a strong mother-daughter bond." He commented, walking over to hold them, both.

Lenka motioned for him to join the hug, and he grinned. It was like old times, before anything complicated or bad had happened.

"Good God, I missed you girls." Kaito sighed contentedly as they all pulled back. "Although, I have one request for when you date this boy-"

"About that." Rin smiled sheepishly. "I may or may not have been dating him already-"

"I know." Kaito said. "That one time I came home early? I saw him leave this house."

"And I have to admit, I sort of suspected it..." Lenka trailed off at the look of sheer horror on Rin's face.

"Why didn't you tell me you knew?"

"I had just found out." Kaito shrugged.

Her mother smiled apologetically. "And I thought you'd tell me when you were ready. I guess I was right."

Rin flushed as her parents smiled knowingly at her, but could not help but smile back. "Anyways, what's your condition, Dad?"

"You keep us updated on every little thing you two do. And you better be honest, because I may even set up a secret camera to record you whenever he comes over." He grinned. "But that won't be a problem, will it? You haven't been doing anything bad with him, have you?"

She thought back to all the times he had come over in secret and they had spent hours kissing and exploring each other's bodies in her bedroom.

"Of course not."

XOXOXO

Told my parents about us. -R

Dear God, the moment of truth... -L

THEY SAID IT WAS FINE! -R

That's great! I talked to mine, too. They came back from wherever they were with Oliver. So I brought up going out with people and eased them into the idea that you and I were dating. It was a surprise to them, cause they thought I was gay, but after explaining everything to them, it was fine! -L

Woohoo! -R

Woohoo is correct, m'lady. -L

Everything seems to be going our way, huh? Luka and I even managed to complete all our home work for the rest of the year! Summer's starting early for me. -R

Lucky. I still have at least two months before I can start Summer. -L

Heh. It seems like everything is starting to go our way, huh? -R

Indeed it is. -L

XOXOXO

"Len, can you get the mail?" Neru called from the kitchen.

"On it." He responded, getting off of the couch and walking out to the mailbox. He pulled out the letters and took them back inside to his mother.

"Only coupons, bills, random paperwork from Dad's office, and..." He trailed off and frowned at the last envelope in his hand. "A letter addressed to me." He murmured in surprise. Neru looked at him in shock and snatched the letter out of his hands.

"Probably from the homeschool program, I'm sure." She said quickly with a forced smile. He stared at her.

"Let me see the letter, Mom."

"You know, I'm not sure that's a good idea-"

"_Mom_."

She swallowed and handed him back the letter. He immediately ripped it open and read it.

_Son,_

_I understand you're angry, but you need to reply to these letters sometime. I sincerely am sorry about all the horrible things I've done, and your mother is, too. We would like to meet with you sometime to speak with you about the possibility of getting you back into our custody. The chances are unlikely, we know, but we love you, son, and we would at least like to try. Please let us try._

_To contact us, just use the address this letter was sent from. Hope to hear from you._

_-Dad_

Len looked up at Neru and said with a trembling voice, "What does he mean 'letters'? Plural?"

"Len-"

"No, Mom. Please. Has he been sending letters before?"

She inhaled deeply, before answering, "Yes."

He gritted his teeth as he willed himself not to yell. Yelling wouldn't do anything, and after all, she had been so understanding about him and Rin. She had always been patient with him. "How long?"

"Len, I don't think-" She cut herself off at the look of betrayal of his face. "Three years." She answered quietly.

_Three years?!_

"What the he- Why didn't you tell me?!" He demanded angrily. All rationality had fled from his mind, leaving him furious and confused.

"I didn't think you were ready. I wanted to protect you!"

"That is not your call to make, whether I'm ready or not!"

"I'm sorry-"

He tightened his hands into fists, his nails digging so hard into his plans he felt the skin break. "I know you are," he managed camly. "But you shouldn't have hidden it from me." He whirled around and stalked away, letter crinkled angrily in his fist.

He climbed the steps furiously, ignoring the pain in his palm where his nails had dug in.

"Len."

He turned around, ready to scream, and saw Luka, looking solemn. "You know she didn't mean to hurt you." She said softly.

"You heard?"

"Yes." She took a step toward him, and he instinctively flinched away. She frowned. "I understand it was wrong of her, but you owe her an apology. She's our mother- she saved us from our ass hole parents by adopting us. She hid the letters in your best interest."

He laughed humorlessly. "But why? Why does she- why does anyone actually care about me? All these years I've been horrible to everyone. I don't want their pity."

"I understand- don't ask me how- but I do." She raised her hand to place it on his shoulder, and he smacked it away.

"_Don't touch me_."

"Len," she scolded, not without affection. "Is this how you're going to be like again? How you were before we moved here?"

"Possibly." He said quietly, narrowing his eyes at her. "I don't know. I just- everything feels like it's falling apart again- like it was when I was little."

"Are you sorry, though? Just tell me, are you sorry for yelling at Mom?"

"Yes." He lied. There wasn't any other way to make Luka leave him alone. If he said he was sorry, she would go tell Neru, and everything and everyone would be fine.

Except for Len.

She sighed, seeming to have believed him. "Okay. I'll tell Mom, and then you two will have made up. But you- you need to resolve whatever is going on with your father. Ignoring him isn't a solution."

"I know that." He sighed. "But- I don't think- Mom was right. I'm not ready to speak with him."

Luka smiled at him. "That doesn't sound like the over confident, conceited Len I know. You are ready, you're just scared. Don't worry, though. When the time comes to talk to him, you'll be fine." And with that, she walked away, leaving him standing alone in the hallway.

XOXOXO

Len reread the letter for what seemed like the billionth time. He had read it so much by now, he had memorized every word. Luka had been right when she said he should talk to him. He needed the closure, he needed to get over his abandonment and not just ignore it.

But was he ready?

That was were she had been wrong, thinking he would be ready to confront his parents. His mother had been horrible, but it wasn't her he was nervous about. It was his father; that man had left him broken and bloody too many times for him to count. He was terrified, and the fear had gotten so bad, he had flinched away from his sister. From Luka! It was ridiculous as hell. It wasn't like _she_ was the one who abused him. But all it took was a letter from his father, and he was scared of being touched again. He remembered how horrible it had been when he had just become an orphan- he never let _anyone_ come near him- which led to him being moved around from foster home to foster home. And when he had been adopted by Neru and Rinto, he knew he was lucky. In fact, he was lucky as hell. But it still took years for him to get over that stupid fear.

Len let the letter fall to the floor and leaned his head against his pillow hopelessly. He needed a real solution for his fears, he needed the closure.

Cursing under his breath, he picked up a pen and paper with shaking hands and began to write a letter in reply.

XOXOXO

"He- oh my God." Rin murmured, clutching the phone tighter to her ear.

"'Oh my God' is right! He hasn't been letting anyone come into his room and he hasn't been eating." Luka said. "I know it's only been a day, but I'm worried about him. All because of that stupid letter." She humphed.

Rin bit her lip worriedly. "Do you think he's going to go see him?"

"If 'him' means his father-"

"It does, yeah."

"-then I don't know. He looked pretty freaked out when I talked to him, but it's Len. You never know."

"Have you been trying to coax him out of the room?"

"Of course!" Luka sighed, exasperated. "Everyone has been. So far, Oliver was the closest one. He got Len to talk to him."

"That's improvement, right?"

"Kinda. We've also tried to get in, but he locked us and I think he barricaded the door."

"This is very, very bad..." She murmured, beginning to pace back and forth across her bedroom.

"Yeah. And we were talking about breaking into his room, but we're worried if we do, he's gonna do something stupid."

"Maybe you should just leave him to cool off?"

"That's what we've decided. But, Rin, I'm _scared_. I'm terrified for him." Her voice was hushed. "I've never really been scared before- but I am now. I just- I don't want him to get hurt. He gets so irrational when he's angry, and I'm scared he's going to hurt himself.

Rin pursed her lips and tried to shake off the feeling of an oncoming storm. "I know, Luka. I know."

**XOXOXO**

**DUN DUN DUUUN! Poor Len. God, how horrible am I for putting him through this traumatizing stuff? And how horrible am I for putting you guys through all these slow updates? xD Sorryyy. I've been distracted with so many things... -cough cough- ANIME AND VIDEO GAMES -cough-. ;) I'll try to update faster.**

**So, I have a feeling things are going to get pretty ugly, but I'm my yet sure. You have been warned!**

**Question of the Day/Chapter: What is your favorite anime?**

**Mine is Ouran Highschool Host Club. ^.^ I've been obsessed with it for YEARS.**

**-See you next time! Xoxoxo, PufferButtercup**


	9. Chapter 9

**WOW. This story is getting a lot more attention than I thought it would... Seriously. Over 90 reviews! That's a lot! Thank you all so much for all your support. C: It makes me insanely happy.**

**I'm so sorry for always updating late, I'm just totally busy! It's nearing the end of the school year, and I'm trying to finish all my classes early (home schooling rocks, bro!) and keep them straight A's. Bleeehh. And on top of school, I have dance, theatre, anime, and video games... So very busy (and lazy).**

**Len's father, Albert, is roughly based off of 'Big Al', one of the less popular Vocaloids. Actually, it's really only his name I used. I totally bull crapped everything else. xD**

**Well, once again, thank you all for your support! It's all very much appreciated. :)**

**You may have noticed how the beginning of each chapter is changing. Like, the order is still 'author's note**' **then 'disclaimer', but everything after that is in a random order, or just random things. Like a quote, or a chapter song (or songs). I'm sorry that it seems messy, I'm still experiencing with the layout, so just bear with me!**

**XOXOXO**

**DISCLAIMER: Oh pleeeaaaase.**

**XOXOXO**

**Huge thank you to everyone supporting me, especially Pecock-Lover. I am so blessed to have you all! C:**

**XOXOXO**

**Chapter Song(s):**

**Just Give Me A Reason - P!nk (Scene 1)**

**The Only Hope For Me Is You- My Chemical Romance (Scenes 3 and 4)**

**XOXOXO**

**"Can I be the only hope for you? Because you're the only hope for me."**

**XOXOXO**

"It's Len. Sorry I couldn't answer the phone. Leave your name, number, and message, and I'll call you back."

Rin cursed angrily and hung up, tossing her phone onto the bed carelessly. She wiped at the tears in her eyes and frowned.

"Still nothing?" Luka asked, sprawled on the floor, spam-texting Len.

She nodded and chewed nervously on her lip. "Yeah. You?"

"Same." Her friend sighed. "I don't know what to do. Mom and Dad said just to let him sulk, but I can tell they're on the verge of a freak out."

It had been a week now, and Len still refused to answer his phone, or let in any visitors. Every time Rin attemted to call him, she was always met with nothing. Just his damn voice mail.

According to Luka, he had started leaving his room for meals and to go jogging, but other than that, he locked himself inside and avoided contact with everyone. Several times they had tried to talk to him while he was out, but each time he had avoided their eyes and quietly excused himself with that empty expression on his face. It was like he had given up on everything and had become a zombie. He was no longer Len anymore. He was just a shell of the sarcastic boy he used to be, and it hurt everyone.

"Didn't he send back a letter to his dad?" Rin asked, shaking herself out if her thoughts. "You said his parents want to get him back."

"Yeah. We're trying to figure out if and when he's gonna meet them."

"Oh."

The two remained quiet for a few seconds, before Luka broke the silence. "Do you think... Maybe we could sneak into his room while he's out? Try to find out more?"

Rin bit harder on her aching lip. "I want to, but... If he catches us, then-" she sighed with a shake of her head. "He would be furious."

"We have to do _something!_ I don't wanna just sit around all day and watch him act like a total zombie. God, I wish he would just talk to us."

"You know he doesn't work that way, Luka. He bottles things up and let's his problems destroy him from inside."

"There has to be something we can do. We can't give up on him." The pink haired girl sighed, and glanced over at Rin. Seeing her dejected, hopeless expression, she said, "Don't tell me you're giving up on him!"

Rin jerked her gaze back to Luka's. "I'm not!" She exclaimed. "I just don't think there's anything we can do. Maybe he just needs time. I know I did when-" she cut herself off at the sight of a certain blonde exiting his house. "Luka, _look_!" She grabbed her arm and dragged her to the window, where they then ducked down to avoid being seen.

They watched as Len shut the door quietly behind him and looked around quickly, as if afraid of being caught. Light bags were under his sullen eyes, his lips pursed, and his hair disheveled more so than usual. He looked very nervous, and very scared. His legs shook almost unnoticeably as he walked to his car. If he was going jogging, he didn't look like it. He wore his usual black hoodie with dark jeans and a long sleeved, button up shirt.

"I don't think he's going jogging." Luka murmured, mostly to herself.

_No duh. _She wanted to say, but bit back to retort. She wasn't really annoyed, just... Worried. Very, very worried.

Rin watched him step into the car and stood up suddenly, knocking her friend over.

"We have to follow him!" She demanded, running out of the room, with Luka trailing behind her.

XOXOXO

Len stepped out if the car slowly and took a deep breath. He was terrified. He would be seeing his father in just a few minutes, the man who had abandoned him after beating him bloody for years. The man who had drunk so much, he couldn't walk straight. The man who ruined his childhood and had taken great joy in the fact.

The man that had him traumatized.

He squeezed his eyes shut momentarily, and once his limbs had stopped shaking, he walked into the cafe'.

The smell of coffee immediately his his lungs once he was inside. He kept his eyes straight ahead and faked an arrogant expression as he walked to the geeky barista, with the name tag 'Mathew'. He had curling brown hair, large glasses, and a small spray if freckles. He was good looking, in an off kilter sort of way. His nose was a bit too big for his face, and his lips were too thin.

_But_, Len thought in an attempt to boost his confidence, _No one can be as good looking as me._

If he had said this, Rin would have hit him and called him an "ass clown" or one of her unusual names. God, how he missed that feisty blonde. His throat closed up at the thought.

"A medium vanilla bean cappuccino, please." He said, placing a five dollar bill on the counter.

Mathew popped open the cash register and handed him back his change, and a few minutes later, his drink. He took it without a thank you, and looked for his father. Almost instantly, he spotted him at a small table by the window.

Len was the spitting image of Albert. The same ruffled, gold-blonde hair, cobalt blue eyes, pale skin, thin, athletic build, and cocky attitude. But while Len had developed a charming, albeit sarcastic, sort of air about him, Albert seemed to be judging everything and everyone with thoughtful stares. His long, thin fingers drummed against the table impatiently, only stopping as Len approached.

"Hello, son." He greeted formally, with a smile.

Len narrowed his eyes, despite the cold, unusual feeling of fear unfolding in his chest. "You seem to have cleaned up well."

Albert chuckled. "Time can do that. Anyways, where are my manners? How are you, Len?" He leaned forward with a grin.

Len flinched away instinctively and his father's grin faltered. "Fine."

"I see." He leaned back away. "I must apologize for my behavior from previous years. I was... Quite dreadful."

"You were pretty horrible, yeah."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, much like Len did when he was tired or nervous... Or just needed something to do with his hands. "I am very sorry. And your mother, too."

"Then why isn't she here?"

A flash of sadness appeared in his eyes, before he quickly recovered. "She's in the hospital. She's very sick, you see."

"Oh." He felt a pang of sadness, then quickly dismissed it.

_Sure, she wasn't as bad as him. But she was still pretty horrible. She still hurt me._

"Yes, 'oh' is correct. And that's part if the reason why I've been wanting to talk to you." He sipped his coffee, his eyes filling with thinly masked sorrow. "I fear that your mother may not make it. And our greatest regret was not raising you correctly. We want to try again, and she would like to see you before she... Is deceased."

Len frowned, and spoke slowly, "I'm not so sure about you raising me, but I could try to say hello to her." He agreed reluctantly. His father didn't seem to be lying, and if she were to die and this was her wish- why should he not let her have it? Well, besides the whole part of her abusing him. But he /needed/ this closure. It wouldn't be just for her, it would be for his own selfish intentions as well. Then he could for sure focus on more important things. On more important people...

On Rin.

Albert laughed joyfully. Len realized, with a jolt, that this man was nothing like the one that had beaten him those years. It was him, and yet... It wasn't. Thank God he had finally changed. "That's wonderful to hear, son."

He couldn't stop the happiness he felt from making his father look proud of him. He had always wanted that, he supposed. His father's respect and happiness.

"Whatever." He managed, glancing out the window. Parked in front if the window was a bubble gum pink mini van. Luka's car. And upon closer inspection, he could spot Luka seated at the wheel, acting as if she hadn't been spotted. He squinted at the car, and saw another person in the back seat, though he couldn't tell who. The figure was very petite, most likely Oliver or Rin. He furrowed his eyebrows, and Albert followed his gaze.

"What's wrong?" He questioned, sipping more of his coffee.

"My idiot sister. That's what's wrong." He answered, somewhat mildly.

His father raised his eyebrows and smiled, clearly amused. "Go out and say hello. You have my number. Call me later, and we can arrange a time for you to see your mother." He stood up with his coffee, and reached out a hand to clasp Len on the shoulder, thought better of it, and pulled back his hand with a smile. "Until next time." He said, and began to leave. He walked to the door, then paused to turned around and face him. "And, son? Do think about transferring into our custody. Your mother and I would greatly appreciate it." Albert winked at him. Len nodded numbly, watching him go. A cold, uneasy chill crept down his spine, and he sat at the table silently for a few moments, going over in his head what had just happened. He looked out the window once again, at the pink car. Luka sat watching him, and she wiggled her fingers at him with a nervous smile. He glared at her, stood up with his drink, and stalked outside to the car. What was she doing him? Had she followed him? She was so _infuriating_.

He yanked open the door. "What the hell, Luka?" He demanded angrily, then noticed that it was Rin in the back seat he spotted, and she was now looking at him with dark eyes and a frown. He ignored the kick of adrenaline he felt at the sight of her and focused on Luka's guilty, albeit pleased, face.

"We were worried about you!" Luka protested. "I was at Rin's house, and saw you leave, and... so, we kinda maybe decided to follow you."

Rin narrowed her eyes at him and glared. "It was my idea, by the way, so don't get mad at her." She looked as if she was trying to be menacing, but really it was only adorable.

He groaned and banged his head lightly against the car roof. "I guess I should say I'm sorry." Len tried lamely, in attempt to pacify them.

It only succeeded in enraging Rin further. "SORRY? _SORRY_?! YOU HEAR THAT, LUKA? SEVEN DAYS WITHOUT TELLING US ANYTHING, AND HE'S SORRY! WHOOP DE FUCKING DOO, GUESS THAT MAKES IT ALL BETTER THEN, HUH, LUKA? SEVEN DAYS, LEN KAGAMINE. SEVEN GOD DAMN DAYS! WE WERE SCARED YOU WERE GONNA HURT YOURSELF, YOU JACK-IN-THE-ASS!" She shouted, flinging random objects at him from her bag. Luka looked like she didn't know whether to yell or laugh, and ended up looking constipated.

He knocked away a penny she chucked at his face. "I can explain!"

"You better, or your girl friend is going to neuter you." His sister said dryly, and Rin, as if to confirm this statement, flung a Kleenex packet at him.

XOXOXO

"I'd say that's a stupid reason to keep yourself on lock down, but I know that people act idiotically when they're depressed or scared. I guess you get a rain check." Luka said simply, squeezing his hand. Once he explained everything to them, it seemed to calm them down. "Just don't scare us like that again. Get it?"

"Got it."

"Good." She turned to Rin who was being surprisingly quiet in the back seat. "You have anything you want to add?"

"If you ever pull something like this again," she said, enunciating each word very clearly, "I will tie you up-"

Len's eyes glittered. "Ooh, bondage."

"-take every banana away from you, and crush them, right before your eyes." She finished, and was rewarded by a look of sheer horror on his face.

"Jesus, you women are insane." He muttered. "I said I wouldn't go on lock down mode ever again, alright? Calm."

Luka punched him lightly on the shoulder. "You're an ass. And we're serious- just talk to us next time you feel like you're going to have a freak out. I don't wanna lose my older brother, no matter how stupid he is."

He was oddly touched by her affection. "Okay."

Rin spoke up. "Anyways. We should head back before our parents freak out more than necessary."

XOXOXO

On the car ride home, Len had called Neru and Rinto, apologized for his behavior, and explained them everything just as he had done with Rin and Luka.

"Oh, Len." His mother had murmured sympathetically, "I wish you had let us know what was going on... I am so sorry. For hiding the letters, for everything."

"It's okay, I'm over it now." He had assured her.

And then once he and Luka had arrived home (after dropping off Rin), they were greeted with hugs and kisses at the door, and Neru had made fettuccine for dinner. He was glad that they didn't ask any more questions and didn't pry, even curious little Oliver. They just smiled, laughed, and acted like nothing had been wrong in the first place, which Len was very grateful for. But in the back of his mind, he was still worried. His birth mother was in the hospital. Sick. And possibly dying.

_No, not dying._ He chided to himself. _Don't be so dramatic._

His heart clenched at the thought, nonetheless. And Albert telling him to think about leaving Neru and Rinto for him...

The scared little boy inside him wanted to please his father, but he couldn't just leave Rinto and Neru. They were his parents now, and they were doing a hell of a lot better than Albert and Meiko had done.

Although, it really did seem as if Albert had changed. It seemed like he was a better man, now. And his mother. If she really were dying, shouldn't he give her the satisfaction of giving her a second chance?

_"You don't owe them anything." _Rin had told him on the way home, "_You have a new family. A better family. They hurt you- they don't deserve a second chance. Just see them one last time for your closure, then leave. You deserve to be able to get over your- your fear of them."_

Was she right? She was about him needing closure, about him not owing them anything, but maybe he could give them a second chance. Maybe he could try living with them, just for a little while-

_Am I really thinking about leaving them?_

He glanced around the dinner table. Luka was arguing playfully with Rinto about who could get the last piece of bread, Oliver was giggling and trying to slurp noodles through his nose, and Neru was smiling and attempting to quiet down everyone.

_I shouldn't_. He grinned at the scene, feeling the most peaceful he had ever felt in a week_. I couldn't leave them even if I tried._

"You know what?" He asked, and his whole family turned to look at him, seeming surprised he had spoken. "I think Ollie and I should split the last piece of bread."

Oliver pulled a noodle out of his nose. "Yeah!" He cheered, as Neru gagged at the sight of the snotty-noodle. Luka and Rinto began to shout and Len in refusal, and he argued back.

_They're hopeless_.

"IT'S MY BREAD, DAD!"

"Does it have your name WRITTEN ON IT?"

"Oliver, take that out of your nose or so help me-"

"LOOKIT MY SNOTTY NOODLE, LUKA!"

"EW! Oliver!"

"Does that mean the bread is mine?"

"No, Dad!"

"I want the bread, too!"

"Oliver, you already ate six!"

"Yeah, Oliver, you- PUT THAT DOWN!"

"OH MY GOD, MOM MAKE HIM STOP!"

"Wooooow, it's so shaaaarp!"

"OLLIE, HAND OVER THAT KNIFE!"

"It's so shinyyyyyy..."

_But I guess we can be hopeless together._

**XOXOXO**

**The table scene was based off of my family eating dinner.**

**Seriously.**

**My brother pulls noodles out of his nose ALL THE TIME, my dad and my sister argue over food, my mom tries to pacify the situation, and I like playing with knives...**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter! I wanted to keep thing dramatic, but I just couldn't... I'm sorry! I promise I'll post a depressing oneshot sometime after this fanfic. Possibly. I CAN'T DO DEPRESSING VERY WELL. YOU GUYS SHOULD KNOW THAT BY NOW. Also, I don't think I checked over grammar and such in this chapter very well. If you see any mistakes, either ignore it, or just let me know! C:**

**I'm not sure what to do in the next chapter- filler or more plot? Bleeeh. What do you guys think?**

**Anyways, thank you all so much for your support and love! ^.^**

**-See you next time! Xoxoxo, PufferButtercup**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hullo! c: I've determined that this fic will be at least 15 chapters, possibly 20 since I procrastinate on the storyline a lot and just write fluff... xD Sorry. This chapter is kinda a mix between storyline and sappy romantic crap. Gakupo is actually mentioned in this chapter, too! Just cus I love that purple haired butt head.**

**Like always, sorry that I update so slowly, but, anywhoodledoodledoo, here's the next chapter.**

**XOXOXO**

**DISCLAIMER: Uuughhhhh.**

**XOXOXO**

**Chapter Song(s):**

**Rhythm of Love - Plain White T's**

**XOXOXO**

**"We may only have tonight, but 'till the morning Sun, you're mine. All mine. Play the music low, and sway to the rhythm of love. "**

**XOXOXO**

"So, what are you gonna do?" The smaller boy asked. His large, innocent eyes regarded Len with kindness and admiration.

Len sighed and raked a hand through his hair. "I dunno, Ollie. I'm leaning towards meeting up with him again and to see... God, what do I even call her? And him, for that matter."

Oliver frowned and crossed his arms. "Not 'Mom' or 'Dad'. They were meaner-beaners to you, and now you have a better mommy and dad."

"So, what do I call them, then?"

"By their names." He said simply, with a satisfied, toothy grin on his face.

The elder blonde laughed and shook his head. "Alright, Ollie."

"I was riiiight!" He sang suddenly, standing up on the couch and twirling around.

Luka appeared in the doorway. "Oliver! Get down from there this instance or so help me-"

He promptly sat down and jutted out his lower lip in a pout. "Luka's also a meaner-beaner."

"Hey." Len greeted her with a nod. "Aren't you going out with what's-his-name today?"

Luka frowned. "His name is Gakupo. And, yes, I am."

"Who's Gack-pouh?" Oliver asked.

"Luka's boyfriend."

"Eeew, Luka has a boyfriend?! Ew, why-"

"That's not very nice!" The pink haired girl flicked her younger brother's forehead.

"Not to you! I mean your boyfriend sounds 'ew'!" He explained as Len watched the two in quiet amusement.

"That's still not nice!" She flicked him again.

"Boys are gross!"

Luka went to flick him again, then paused and pulled back. She furrowed her eyebrows and pursed her lips. "Ollie, you're a boy."

His eyes widened. "Oh yeeeaah." He murmured in realization.

It took everything Len had not to face palm.

XOXOXO

"If you choose to move back in with them, I swear I will end you." Rin threatened with a glare.

Len rolled his eyes. "Are we doing death threats _again_?" He leaned forward on the park's grass. "I already said I wouldn't."

"I know, it's just..." She sighed and flopped onto her back. "I want to make sure."

He lay down beside her and entwined his fingers with hers. "I won't. I promise, okay?"

She sighed. "Okay, it's just... Just, don't break your promise."

"Since when have I broken a promise? Never."

"All the girls you've messed around with and promised that you'd love forever beg to differ." She raised an eyebrow at him, as if asking him to deny it.

"That was before you."

She scoffed, but he could see her fighting back a smile. "Always sweet talking..."

He grinned at her, then turned his gaze up to the sky. "So how're your parents?"

She seemed to brighten at this. "They're actually really well. It took some time to get used to Dad being around again, but I'm really happy to have my father back. Oh, and," Rin added with a smile, "Mom and Dad are talking about having another kid. I want a little brother, like Oliver. Or a little sister. I guess that's nice, too."

"I'll tell Ollie you want a brother like him."

"That's good. I love that boy."

He nodded in agreement. "This morning he forgot his own gender."

Rin burst out laughing. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. And he totally smack talked Gakupo, too."

"Sounds like something you would do."

Len grinned. "Probably. Anyways," he decided to change the subject, "how've you been holding up?"

"Better. Anxiety attacks aren't as frequent, and I've been talking to my parents more about all the bad stuff that goes through my head."

He squeezed her hand. "That's good. I just wish you could get better faster."

"Getting over depression takes a while, Len. You know that."

"Whatever. I still wish it could all go away."

"So do I, but it takes work. And I'm working on it."

"I know you are, and I'm glad, but..." He trailed off and ran his thumb over her wrist, where he felt the light marking of a scar. She frowned.

"That's the one from when I tried to commit."

"I know."

"I was so stupid."

"You were."

She sighed. "At least I stopped."

"At least you did."

She glanced over at him with a frown. "Are you going to repeat everything I say?"

"Am I?"

She rolled her eyes. "God, you're annoying."

"Now, that one, I am not going to repeat, for that was rude, and I refuse to stand for that."

"Jesus, Len." She muttered in annoyance.

He smiled.

XOXOXO

_Dear Albert,_

_I'm free basically any day of the week to see Haku. Just tell me where the hospital is located, what time you would like to meet, etcetera. _

_My apologies this letter is so short, but this is really all I have to say. Maybe you could just give me your phone number so I could text you. I lost the slip of paper you gave me with your number on it. My generation, although stupid (what is up with 'twerking' and 'selfies'?), has texting, which I find saves time and is convenient._

_The fabulous star,_

_Len_

_Dear Son,_

_I do not appreciate you addressing your mother and I by our first names. It is incredibly rude. I also do not appreciate the sarcastic tone of your letter. _

_Your mother is at 'Mercy Hospital', which is about eighteen miles from your home. Attached to this letter are instructions to drive there, and my number._

_Would you like to meet next Suday at noon, in front of the hospital? Afterwards, we could go out for lunch, if you like._

_Sincerely,_

_Your father_

_Dear Albert,_

_No offense, but you're not really my dad. And Haku isn't my mother. You decided that yourself when you abandoned me all those years ago. _

_I didn't intend for my letter to sound rude; I guess it just comes across that way considering I'm an ass. Oh well. It can't be helped._

_The given time and date is fine, although I can't go for lunch afterwards. I've promised my little brother I'd take him to a comic book store. _

_The number you gave me wasn't yours. It was a nice lady's number who apparently sells medication for genital warts. Are you implying something?_

_Still fabulous,_

_Len_

_Dear Len,_

_Sorry about the wrong number. The '4' was supposed to be a '9'. No, I was not implying anything. Please refrain from sassing me. You may not consider me your father, which I understand, but I do deserve a small amount of respect from you._

_ It's decided, then. We will meet outside the hospital next Sunday at noon. See you then._

_Sincerely,_

_Kiyoteru_

**XOXOXO**

**It feels like these chapters are getting shorter and shorter... I'll try to make the next one longer! **

**Question of the Day: Who is your favorite character in this fanfic so far? Mine is Ollie! Or Len. I do enjoy Oliver's cuteness, and Len's sass. **

**-See you next time! Xoxoxo, PufferButtercup**


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